[D] First Round #14 (EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY-. vs. Space Dance)

Listen to both songs and select the one you prefer.

Download Links:

Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia - EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY-.
Rhythm Tengoku - Space Dance

Streaming:

EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY-.: Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:
Space Dance: Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:

I get it, Ar Tonelico, you like dramatic music with squeaky girl vocals thrown in. Jesus, how many of these are on the soundtrack? Admittedly, however, the middle is much more calm than in the others.

Space Dance, on the other hand, sounds like something from Advance Wars (pre-Days of Ruin). Makes sense, since I think Rhythm Tengoku was developed by Intelligent Systems.

When Japanese singers try to do something ethnic or epic, the results don't work for me. That's my main problem with Ar Tonelico. EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY-. is good nonetheless.

I enjoyed Rhythm Tengoku, but if I listen to any of the songs on a stand alone level, I get bored.

Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia - EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY-.
Wow, Japanese singers attempting something weighty and classically-inclined! This is an event so rare as to merit celebration. It's clear that this kind of singing isn't what some of the vocalists signed up for--some of the vocals are still kind of squeaky, as if they're itching to bust out the J-Pop. Still, refreshing.

Rhythm Tengoku - Space Dance
It's spacey and it's dancey, so I guess we can consider that promise fulfilled. There are some nice parts alongside some duller ones.

Apples and oranges. But I think I'll reward Ar tonelico for stepping outside its genre's musical comfort zone.

I'm going to vote for Space Dance here because its goose is cooked and it has quirky appeal. Despite that, EXEC is surprisingly lithe and should be a decent choice in the next round.

: Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia - EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY/.
: Rhythm Tengoku - Space Dance

I guess Space Dance's sounding like something from Advance Wars is why I don't really like the track. Wish the melody were more memorable.

EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY/. is an Ar tonelico vocal, and it's also the best Gust track in the contest so far by virtue of being the only one I can stand. A year ago that might've seemed like a coincidence, but now it's looking like par for the course. I could do without the first half of the track, but starting at about 1:28 or so when the soft vocals start, it gets on the path of being halfway decent. By the time the real climax hits, I'm actually enjoying it.

Gust Sound Team vocal track are notoriously hit-or-miss with me. They always sound like they're throwing every musical technique known to man at the listener to try and impress them. "EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY-." is one of the few that I (really) like, however. The soft vocals are chilling and real purrty, and the dramatic chants also sound pretty swell. The violin touches are elegant, the vocals are great, and the composition itself is particularly impressive; very good indeed.

"Space Dance" is very ^____^, and I like it when my music has ^____^. This one's just really cute and catchy without doing anything outstanding or outrageous. Erm...yeah, nothing else to say but I'll definitely be keeping this one!

"EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY-." - 9/10
"Space Dance" - 7.5/10