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Para Para Max US Mix Vol. 1
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I going to bet that you're wondering just exactly what Para Para is.
Well, Para Para was a dance fad in Japan a few years back, though I
can't necessarily say that it was a "dance" as you might normally
see it. Para Para dealt very little with foot movement and more on
hand movement. If you've watched a lot of anime, you've probably ran
across a series that mentions it, or you may have even read one of
the reviews here on the site that defined what it was. If you're a
fan of the Detective Conan series, Conan himself was featured doing
the dance in the opening of one of the seasons. Well, Para Para is
coming to the United States with the Para Para Max US Mix.
This isn't a selection of tracks by various artists, and instead
you're going to have just one vocalist here, but fans of J-pop
probably won't find much to complain about, as it's none other than
the very capable, and very talented Yoko Ishida. The music is going
to sound slightly familiar as it is various anime theme songs, but
not quite like you might be used to hearing them. The music is all
written in what is known in Japan as Super Euro-Beat, though my wife
claims that this IS para para (still sounds like Euro Beat to
me though.) What is it? Very, very fast techno, I'd gauge the BPM's
generally at falling around the 140+ category, though we're not
talking about the drums being as fast as some of the underground
cybergrind acts like The Berserker or as rapid fire as gabba bands
like Atari Teenage Riot. But, you've never heard you're favorite
anime themes in this style, and even better, it's one continuous
mix.
The disc starts out with a version of "Cruel Angel Thesis," the
opening for Neon Genesis Evangelion that is drastically up-tempo,
and as much as I like the original version, I have to admit, I
really like this one much better. The tracks that follow, I actually
haven't seen, and with the solid mix, there were times I'd glance at
what track I was on and realized I was about five cuts into the
disc. But, when track number six blended itself into the music, even
though it has been at least a year since I saw it last, I
immediately recognized it as being from Pretty Sammy, or Magical
Project S. The track was a bit annoying in the original anime, but
it's catchy here. Ah, and one of the original Japanese openings for
Pocket Monsters (Pokemon) and actually, this was one of my favorite
openings from the original version of the series.
This is one of those discs that is really hard to pick individual
songs that stand out more than others, and the drum beat rarely
changes. It's more the keyboard sounds used, some vocals effects and
the like.
The music is all well and good for some, but I know that some of you
want to get out there and dance, or at least move your hands around,
but you probably have no idea how this whole Para Para thing works.
Well, Geneon has given you a solution, and the dance moves are
included, so you can learn and impress your friends . . . . or
something along those lines. I bet you're wondering if anyone here
at Underland Online tried the Para Para themselves. No, that didn't
happen. It's not going to happen. Sorry.
I may not be into this for the dance factor, but for some fast
paced, J-pop techno, this is the way to go. It will make a great
driving addition to go along side the trance compilations, death
metal, and grind core. Yes, there's a very eclectic collection of
music in the car. But, here's what I'm thinking with this one: Dance
Dance Revolution: Para Para Mix. It could work, and there could be
an incorporation of the Eye Toy to score based on hand movements. It
would be quite the work out I'm sure (though I wouldn't play it.)
Until that happens though, if you're looking for anime themes faster
than you've ever heard them or just want some hyperactive dance
music, Para Para Max is just the thing to fill in that void.
-mike-
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Featuring:
Yoko Ishida (vocals)
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Track Listing:
01 - Cruel Angel's Thesis
02 - You get to burning
03 - A Round Dance - revolution
04 - Ririka SOS
05 - Akazukin Cha Cha
06 - If you dream about it, it's no longer a dream (Pretty Sammy)
07 - Illusion
08 - Soul's Refrain
09 - Keep on Dreaming
10 - Will
11 - Get the World
12 - Right? (Super Doll Ricca-chan)
13 - Give a Reason
14 - Let's work to become Pokemon masters
15 - Just Fly Away Running Time:
51 Minutes
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