Shuffle And Repeat

Single Review
Shiina Ringo – Kuki (STEM)~Daimyou Asobi hen~

Kuki (STEM)~Daimyou Asobi hen~ is Shiina Ringo’s 8th single. It was released on January 22, 2003, and reached #1 on the oricon weekly charts. It sold a total of 187,371 copies, making it the 45th best-selling single of 2003. Kuki (STEM)~Daimyou Asobi hen~ is the only single released for Kalk, Samen, Kuri no Hana.

tracklist:
1. Meisai ~Sengo Saidai-kyuu no Boufuu-u Kennai Kashou~
2. Kuki (STEM) ~Daimyo Asobi hen~
3. Ishiki ~Sengo Saidai-kyuu no Boufuu-u Kennai Kashou~

I know I already said that I’d start with Ariamaru Tomi and Shouso Strip, but I’m sorry.. I just can’t help it. I listened to Kalk Samen Kuri no Hana a while ago, and it kicked my ass. xD now moving on…

While I was already diggin’ Honnou, I wasn’t really a fan of Shiina yet. The moment I became a hardcore Ringo fan was when I first heard Meisai. Despite the ridiculously long title “Meisai~Sengo Saidai-kyuu no Boufuu-u Kennai Kashou~“, I gotta tell you, this is one heck of a song!

It has that usual impressive Shiina touch to it that makes it easily definable as her work. There’s that hot jazzy vibe to it that goes really well with her squeaky voice, and there’s that spooky atmosphere that most of her songs have.

It starts off with a continous rain sound, which goes quite good when the double bass starts playing, and Shiina starts singing the few lines. A gong-like sound then starts playing, leading the song to a fuller sound with the guitars and violins. Shiina will then start singing the verses in a style-y way, which will lead us to the hyper chorus right after.

I really think hyper is the most appropriate word to describe the chorus, because, well it is kinda insane, but excellent at the same time. Despite the wildness of the chorus, I have to say that it helps it sound more catchy to my ears. The way Shiina delivers the lines with the jazzy instruments around her was the best one I could ever imagine. There’s the uniqueness in it, and the backups really made it possible.

I couldn’t help but think of Mickey Mouse when I first heard Kuki (STEM)~Daimyo Asobi hen~. The orchestratic arrangement reminded me of those silent disney films, and I believe I’m not the only one thinking of that.

But anyways, I really think STEM was a really good song. The orchestra really kept the epicness of the song coming for a long time,  which was a good thing because it avoids the listener from getting tired of it. It was also nice to hear some english from Shiina because I don’t usually hear her sing in that language. I thought Shiina’s english in it was quite good, but I couldn’t say impressive because there were times that I couldn’t clearly hear what she was saying. Minus that, the song could have been just perfect!

When it comes to composition, Ishiki~Sengo Saidai-kyuu no Boufuu-u Kennai Kashou~ is different. Unlike the 2 previous tracks, this song uses less instruments for jazz and more guitars and drums.

Even though I don’t like this track as much as the other 2, I have to say that it was nice to hear because it was nice to hear a change from the previous genre that was offered. Although, I wish that the song didn’t just end so sudden, because it sounded so unlikely. It was a really nice track, neverthless.

Overall, despite the fact that this was the only single released for the Kalk Samen album, I think it was enough because of the great quality each track presented. All of them had the quality of an A-side, which was really handy because all tracks are in the album. I was also impressed with Shiina Ringo in this single, not only because of the uniqueness this single contained, but also because of the creativity she showned to us with this single. I bet nobody else can beat the mind-blowing idea of STEM. Nuff said.

Favorite Track:
Meisai~Sengo Saidai-kyuu no Boufuu-u Kennai Kashou~

shuffle rating!
A+