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With the price of Japanese imports being what it is, buying any sort of anime or game soundtrack is quite a strain of your wallet. Even singles run the price of what a full-length CD does in the US. Once in a great while though, you happen to run across a bargain that you just can’t pass up. Such was the case a few weeks ago when I was at the local Japanese bookstore. A few titles had been sitting on the shelves for far too long without anyone even be interested. When I found a copy of Globe “Genesis of Next” for $5, it was a quick purchase decision. Why buy the CD? I’ve had a few episodes of the new Cyborg 009 tapes from TV in Japan, and the opening theme seriously kicks ass, although it’s still no nearly as good as Rina Auichi’s theme for Detective Conan. If you’ve never heard Globe though, it’s not your typical J-pop band, and in fact they are almost the farthest thing from the genre. Globe falls more into the line of techno and trance than anything else, and that’s not a bad thing at all. The bad is a three piece comprised of the French Marc Pather who doubles as programmer and rapper, Tetsuya Komura (also known as TK) sharing programming duties, and fronted by vocalist Keiko Yamada. With this eclectic combination, Globe has been delighting audiences in Japan for years with there unique musical blend complete with Japanese, French, and English lyrics. Don’t expect any three minute songs from this trio though, Globe is all about songs that are just as long as their techno counterparts. The single is comprised of only two main songs, “Genesis of Next” and “ What’s the Justice?” which is the opening theme of Cyborg 009. Both of the tracks in their normal form are actually quite amazing. Even without being able to understand fully what Keiko is singing, it’s obvious that she’s an amazing and talented vocalist. “Genesis of Next” has an addictive sound and a huge amount of lyrics that add to the pulsing rhythm of the song. The single also features two remixes of the track, which sound quite similar to the original mix for the most part. “What’s the Justice?” on the other hand may have the same trance feel, but is more heavy on the music end of thing. Clocking in at just a little over 9 minutes in length, the song drones on and on, but still retains its full speed most of the time. There are a few keyboard sounds that are used that I did find a little annoying, and I’m sure that anyone who uses a Korg will absolutely agree with this. Regardless though, the song is still highly addictive to listen to, even with the lack of vocals. There’s an instrumental version of this song as well, but I had to wonder why, since it’s mainly instrumental in the first place. Why Globe has yet to hit the market outside of Japan is beyond me. Honestly, they’re quite an amazing act, and with the means to sing in three different languages, there’s no reason why they should remain one of those acts that’s exclusive to Japan only. Even if you’ve never seen Cyborg 009, picking up the CD isn’t a bad purchase at all, especially if you’re into the electronic scene. Hell, there’s probably even a few DJ’s that can probably get away with spinning this in a club. “Genesis of Next” is one of those few CD singles that will appeal not only to anime and J-pop fans, but electro geeks as well, especially since the running time is nearly 45 minutes for just five songs. Buy it. -mike-
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