What do you think about Akatsuki Records?

[CountVonNumenor]

The music group has grown very popular in the past few years, and most opinions I have seen about them have been positive.

 

That is why I found it interesting when this review from Yuunarii has brought a bit of a different view, giving a rather mixed opinion on the band. I am quite happy to see them mentioned for the first time in a western video, especially since I have not noticed the band being very active in terms of collaborations with things like fangames outside Damnaku Kagura and Spell Bubble (compared to other groups whose music virtually appears in like every big fangame). That is why I found it interesting to see a different opinion.

 

It is fair, Stack might not be for everyone, but I still like her voice. She just sounds special to me, quite different from other Touhou music doujins. And as a whole, I like rock music, so it is always a win. For me, they are among the first music groups I listened to, and listened to them ever since. I guess I just found the right song from the very beginning, and got to stick with the group's music since.

 

But what do you think about them? Do you like their music or have different tastes? I am quite curious to see what others have to say. I will probably create multiple threads of this kind in the near future, talking about various bands I have listened to in my time as a Touhou fan. So probably discussions about groups like Shinra-Bansho, Tokyo/Kokyo Active NEETs or Shibayan Records will soon follow.

 

The Yuunarii review https://youtu.be/s4Jdr4OQgIs

[MidnightShinx]

I enjoy and listen to their music. Not sure about others though.

[Shionne Imeris]

While i'm leaning much more towards electronic music than rock/metal or anything else in my opinion Akatsuki Records as overall is decent circle but Stack's voice is a little bit more than that, mostly because how versatile it can be (compare Karmanations and Hanipaganda for example) though as op said, it's really not for everyone my friend once said she's literally yelling while i asked him to listen (and it's not like hes against this kind of music) i had to disagree but well, everyone have their tastes

While i don't listen to them often because of sheer size of my music library, Akatsuki would be a decent "go to zone" when i'd need a rock/pop arrange

[buskerdog]

Stack go doki doki waku waku.
Stack go achi kochi.
Stack go benbenbenbenben.
I am compelled to join in.

[Drunken_Flower]

im only there to listen their ballad

[HeroNatio]

even though I can't  understand the lyrics of their songs 

not bad to me

[CountVonNumenor]

For me, I think they are the band I have constantly listened to the most ou tof the past couple years. There is just something I love a lot about Stack and her voice, quite different from other musicians.

Personally, I made a playing containing some of my favorite out of their songs, and the collection is ever expanding. Until now, it contains no less than 50 songs, including:

• Treasure Cirno
• Warning x Warning x Warning
• Necromantic
• Adieu, to This Lively Graveyard
• Money Money
• 天地上乗有頂天 (Riding the Heavenly Grounds in Ecstasy)
• Witchcraft Heptagram 
• Muzzle Flash
• Cyanotype
• Still Here
• HANIPAGANDA
• Shout It Out Loud!
• Eternal Summer
• PANDORA66
• Atomica Tokamak
• TILL WHEN?
• Inori no Utsuwa
• White Spirit, Ultra Red
• Two Witches
• Seisai no Reload
• Sky Generation
• Trance Dance Anarchy
• The Creator
• SATORI
• Bye Bye Love
• Azure Raindrops (both the PV and Acoustic version)
• The Show (English version)
• 風神パパラッチ
• Bhavacakra 
• Gray Zone
• VENTEN
• HELLOHELL
• Reverse Trigger
• Black Mirror on the Wall
• Coooonsultant!
• DIG IT DIG OUT
• Infinite Gradation
• Metamorphosis
• KARMANATIONS
• No Way - Gravity
• Driven Raven
• Sadomasochism
• Psycho Lily
• 幽鬼傀儡、あるいはその愛と再生 (The Spirit Puppet, Or Rather Her Love And Resuscitation）
• Bad Magus
• Hedonism
• Samurai Ghost Girl, KILL! KILL!
• Emotional Rhythm
• KILLOVE FIREPROOF
• Rock-On!
• Bloody Devotion
• Last Alarm
• Mindeater
• Lucky Step
• Necromantic (Acoustic Version)

Album source: 

 

[CountVonNumenor]

Overall, I really think there is something special about Stack, besides the fact that she is basically what gives life to the songs. I feel she is different from most of the Japanese female singers I have listened to (at least since I got into Touhou). She doesn't (always) sound cutesy, high-pitched like your average anime girl thing. Instead, she makes me think more of an actual woman when I her Stack singing. Is it just me, do I perhaps have problems, or there's some justification in this line of thought?

[Gou the frog]

On 4/21/2022 at 5:33 AM, CountVonNumenor said:

Overall, I really think there is something special about Stack, besides the fact that she is basically what gives life to the songs. I feel she is different from most of the Japanese female singers I have listened to (at least since I got into Touhou). She doesn't (always) sound cutesy, high-pitched like your average anime girl thing. Instead, she makes me think more of an actual woman when I her Stack singing. Is it just me, do I perhaps have problems, or there's some justification in this line of thought?

Been listening to Akatsuki Records since I've joined Touhou. They're I don't know how to put 'em in words. Stack has a large vocal range and she perfectly captured the immersion of the song's emotions. She's very good at bringing life out of songs like you said above.

I believe you sir is currently in Stack phase. She is special since her voice alone is enough to make someone fall to the Rabbit Hole of Touhou. It's truly a miracle. 

Lots of my favorites are in that collection of yours.

I really love Hedonism, Samurai Ghost Girl, Bloody Devotion, KARMANATIONS and many more. They give of really cool rock vibes and uniqueness all over the place.

[CountVonNumenor]

1 minute ago, Gou the frog said:

I believe you sir is currently in Stack phase.

"The Stack phase"? I think I might be in that since November 2020. Akatsuki Records is probably one of the first doujin music groups I have found once I started falling down the Touhou rabbit whole, just short after RichaadEB, IOSYS, Shibayan Records and Shinra-Bansho. Ever since, I don't think I got out of this phase, if it is indeed just that.
 

5 minutes ago, Gou the frog said:

She is special since her voice alone is enough to make someone fall to the Rabbit Hole of Touhou. It's truly a miracle.

She sure is. 
 

5 minutes ago, Gou the frog said:

I really love Hedonism, Samurai Ghost Girl, Bloody Devotion, KARMANATIONS and many more. They give of really cool rock vibes and uniqueness all over the place.

Nice collection. There's quite a lot to enjoy from the group, and even if they might not be everyone's cup of tea, I still think there's something anyone could enjoy. The history of the group is something interesting, even of I still need to understand it. All I know is that it can be split between "before 2017" and "after 2017", with how things moved from ACTRock to Akatsuki Records, the Stack Bros taking over and how we got to the current shape of the group. I am still quite a bit confused.

Anyway, this entire talk started with a thread on r/touhou (like most of the initial threads I have started since moving to Moriya), which gained a bit of attention at the moment of posting 

 

[CountVonNumenor]

Update: I think we should prepare for a new album. This is usually what I say after the release of a new PV, just like the one that dropped a couple hours ago. Welcome to Blood-Stained Dancing Party Night ~Kyuu and Boom!♥ the PV for a song that appeared back in 2018.

Visuals are quite interesting in this one. A lot more animation than usual, and with the level of darkness, would have made for an awesome Halloween release (ironic since right now I was talking about Lost Word having a rerun of their Halloween event). 

Edited April 29, 2022 by CountVonNumenor

[sodaodaoda]

Honestly, while I do like the instrumentals and such, I have very mixed feelings for Stack.
It took me like 15 listens to start loving Necromantic, and the vocals on that song have grown on me now, I like the vocals a lot.
Same goes for WARNINGxWARNINGxWARNING, took a lot of listens to get used to the vocals, but now I really like the song.

I just don't like the "weow", and just the "nasally" thing Stack does (listen to WARNINGx3, you'll probably get what I mean), although I do think her range is incredibly impressive, and as someone who sang in a choir before, I wish I had that range lmfao
And this coming from someone who likes IOSYS, and they have a shitton of songs which are high pitched and stuff like that (Scarlet Police, Cirno's Math Class, even Alice->Dere) and I don't really mind them.
Surprisingly I liked the new Flandre song immediately when I heard it for the first time, I just didn't like the beginning (because of the "weow" thing), which is a first for an Akatsuki song.

Although, I do agree that if I ignore the nasally voice, Stack can really be amazing, I was listening to Hanipaganda and holy hell, the "Hanipa Hanipa ganganganda" part is amazing, holy shit, the soft vocals on the funny dokidoki wakuwaku song are really nice imo (I liked those from the start), and she can really make me feel amazed when I listen to those songs.

So idk, like I said, I have real mixed feelings with Stack, but the instrumentals are really good.

[CountVonNumenor]

1 hour ago, sodaodaoda said:

the soft vocals on the funny dokidoki wakuwaku song

You mean the PV version of Necromantic, or the Acoustic ver. that came out last winter? Both of them are very good, and sound rather differently. The Acoustic seems to be much more calm, and Stack is much calmer than usual in those, especially when compared with the PV version(s). A few examples:

Necromantic - PV and Acoustic
 

 

Azure Raindrops - Acoustic and PV 
 

 

KARMANATIONS - PV and Acoustic versions
 

 

Eternal Summer - PV and Acoustic versions
 

 

And probably one of my favorite, Gray Zone
 

In my opinion, all of them are quite good, and I like them for what they are. 

Edited April 29, 2022 by CountVonNumenor

[Gou the frog]

On 4/29/2022 at 5:25 PM, CountVonNumenor said:

Update: I think we should prepare for a new album. This is usually what I say after the release of a new PV, just like the one that dropped a couple hours ago. Welcome to Blood-Stained Dancing Party Night ~Kyuu and Boom!♥ the PV for a song that appeared back in 2018.

Double Update: Yep, ready up a new album 'cause a New PV just dropped 10 minutes ago. Welcome again to Yum Yum Yummy: Tis a title.

 

Visuals are astonishing as usual. The little chibi Yuuma is full of life. Now, Stack has done it, my interest in a character grows bigger than usual.

Damm, two PV in within a week? This has got to be one of the best evening I've had.

[CountVonNumenor]

22 hours ago, Gou the frog said:

Double Update: Yep, ready up a new album 'cause a New PV just dropped 10 minutes ago. Welcome again to Yum Yum Yummy: Tis a title.

Damn it, you got the video posted quicker than I could. I saw the post about 10 minutes after you did added it, and was about to comment back then. At least I got my revenge by being the first to post it on the big Touhou discord community. As for the new album, I really wonder what will it contain. But I do not think we will wait to wait too long, since apparently the Reitasai will come soon, so I expect the release to be there (like they did with Venten last year). 

 

22 hours ago, Gou the frog said:

Visuals are astonishing as usual. The little chibi Yuuma is full of life. Now, Stack has done it, my interest in a character grows bigger than usual.

Quite a nice PV indeed. We need to thank Harano for yet another set of stunning and cute visuals. For me, Yuuma got my curiosity since I first listened to her music theme(s) (like really, she has two of them, and the Akatsuki Records song seems to be based on the first theme), and I would say the music and interesting design (hey, we got a goat 2hu) caught my attention quicker than the "comically oversized spoon" / "Spork" joke. 

For reference, the theme I was talking about 

 

22 hours ago, Gou the frog said:

Damm, two PV in within a week? This has got to be one of the best evening I've had.

It seems to be happening more and more recently, at least from as long as I am familiar with Akatsuki Records. First it happened in July, when we got two PVs in one week (HELLOHELL and Reverse Trigger), then again in December (Consultant! and DIG IT DIG OUT). In both instances, the PVs represented the first two songs of the releasing albums. The fact we got two PVs at a distance of a couple of days might change things a little. 

This time, it is interesting. Blood-Stained Dancing Party Night ~Kyuu and Boom!♥ was an already existent song song that came in a single album back in 2018, but was now revisited and given a PV (similar story as with Black Mirror on the Wall - the song that got a PV in October 2021 is a remastered version of another song that was released on the God’s Stories -INNOCENT- -to the beginning 06- album back in 2016, this time as a limited single). I do not know yet if the Flandre song will be part of a limited single or anything, or if the new big album actually starts with the Yuuma song (would be the second album in less than year focusing on songs from the most recent games if that is to be). 

But I think we will fin out more in the next few weeks at most. It would be funny if we got yet another PV in a week from new, because that will either confirm or completely bust my theory. 

Edited May 2, 2022 by CountVonNumenor

[CountVonNumenor]

Just as I was writing a reply in the Shinra-Bansho thread, and was making a bit of research into Help me, ERINNNNNN!!, my little birdbrain remembered something from almost a year ago. There is a Stack cover of that song, and it sounds just as good as I thought. How could I forget about that song?!

Here it is:

 

[CountVonNumenor]

We finally have some confirmation in terms of one of the CDs. Might be old news by now, but only a few minutes ago did I stumble upon it https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/ヤムヤムヤミー


 

Also the Flandre song is part of an album with 16 songs on it: LIMITED SINGLES season 3 https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/LIMITED_SINGLES_season3

 

 

One thing I was not aware of though was this one limited CD: https://en.touhouwiki.net/wiki/第19回博麗神社例大祭会場限定おまけCD

[CountVonNumenor]

Finally, we have access to the 3 CDs and their music on YouTube. Well, not though an official upload, but probably the closest thing we will get to that. Especially since on Spotify it looks like only the main CDs get featured, without the limited singles, compilations and other specials. 

 

LIMITED SINGLES season 3

 

STACK - 第19回博麗神社例大祭会場限定おまけCD

 

STACK - ヤムヤムヤミー

 

By this point, I think Ridzuto has all the Akatsuki Records songs on their channel. 

[CountVonNumenor]

I will be honest. I really cannot recognize a song from Akatsuki Records if the voice singing is not Stack. Every time Asprey puts a song of their at the beginning of a stream and the singer is anyone but Stack, I simply fail to recognize the band. Is this just how much of a symbol she has become for the band, basically the thing you could recognize them from the rest of the music circles?

[CountVonNumenor]

It's been a while since I last contributed to this one, but now there is new stuff. I was quite curious to see what will Akatsuki Records come up with for Comiket 100, and it looks like a part of my question got answered today. And perhaps, given the recent pattern, we will get one more answer on Sunday or at most in a week from now. 

Anyway, time for the latest MV of the group, DESTRUDO -Self Destructive Generation -. Not a Touhou, but an original composition. Quite interesting to see wat they can do when their songs are not connected to the 2hus, and a bit of Stack is always welcome.

 

Also one thing I forgot to add like a couple days ago, and might be older than that. I did not know AR did a music video for Arcadia Record. Well, for anyone just as amazed as I am, here it is:

 

I mean, they have already been featured with songs in Touhou Cannonball, Touhou Spell Bubble, DanKagu and now in Arcadia Record. For the love of ZUN and God, why is not LostWord calling them for a song as well? That is pretty much the only place where thy still need to get in for making a presence in pretty much every Touhou mobile game. 

[Paracausality]

They make absolute bangers, nothing more to say really

[sodaodaoda]

On 4/29/2022 at 4:01 PM, CountVonNumenor said:

You mean the PV version of Necromantic, or the Acoustic ver. that came out last winter? Both of them are very good, and sound rather differently. The Acoustic seems to be much more calm, and Stack is much calmer than usual in those, especially when compared with the PV version(s). A few examples:

Necromantic - PV and Acoustic
 

 

I remember listening to the acoustic version of Necromantic, and while the soft vocals are.... mostly nice, I really despise the "verse"(?) part. By that I mean these parts: "Necromantic ri nante konoyo ni sou you ni habikoru dantei
Necromantic datte romantikku taihai, nikutai, tende fuantei
Woh-oh aitai yo I wanna see you die
Woh-oh misetsukete I wanna see you die"

and

"Necromantic Kusari ochite sanzan muzan'na sugata ni na are
Necromantic Soshite romantikku nandomonandomo nan-dome datte
Wow-oh ikitai no?　I wanna see you die
Wow-oh shi ni tai no？　I wanna see you die"

Idk, it seems like she's trying to act more than to sing. Those parts are actually my favorite parts in the PV version, ironically, even though she sings those part the same way here as well. I guess Stack isn't for everyone.

[CountVonNumenor]

Oh, just as a new video dropped hours ago. I have ot checked it yet, but here it is:

 

[sodaodaoda]

Woaaa, Touhou 1 appreciation! I always like that. It sounds alright.

[CountVonNumenor]

2 hours ago, sodaodaoda said:

Woaaa, Touhou 1 appreciation! I always like that. It sounds alright.

I mean it is not the first time they made arrangements for PC-98 songs. Another obvious one that comes into my mind is KARMANATIONS, which is pretty much an adaptation of Mima's theme. Flying orb-shaped fate line～White Spirit, Ultra Red is also an interesting one. I though I was sure it was made after a PC-98 song for Reimu, but looking again it seems that the original is from Dolls in Pseudo Paradise. But I think besides KARMANATIONS and S.A.R.I.E.L. they might also have other arrangements based on retro era stuff.