Alto Takimaru goes out of the box to release the best song in the GALACTI9 SONG series.
Title: GALACTI9★SONG Series #9 Label: Rejet/Pythagoras Production Release date: 21/08/2019 Genre: Dance/Pop/Ballad
Tracklist:
1 - Pa!! PARADISO 2 - パルコ(Alto Ver.) 3 - Pa!! PARADISO (off vocal) 4 - パルコ(Alto Ver.)
Track by track analysis:
1 – Pa!! PARADISO
Pa!! PARADISO brings to the table groovy slap bass lines, a simple bass-drum-heavy beat, funky guitar riffs, and sampled piano melodies, all with a 90s hip-hop touch.
The beat is slow and extremely addictive, and the progression is incredibly fancy, mixing hip-hop with jazz music, creating a unique soundscape.
Chiharu Sawashiro managed to deliver an outstanding performance in this song, a performance in which he tapped into his vibrato and adopted an R&B style of singing while not forgetting that the verses have hip-hop and need fancy, even if subtle, rap on top of it.
Too addictive not to listen to it non-stop. 5/5
2 – PARCO
パルコ (Parco) follows the same tone. This ballad, with a sound and vibe that is commonly found in Marginal #4’s repertoire, is the only song that is common to all releases in the GALACTI9★SONG CD series. A delicate piano and strings melodies set the tone for this gentle ballad.
Slow-paced, bass-drum drums, melancholic guitar riffs, and a noticeable bass line add the final touches to this instrumental. A nice touch – that might go unnoticed – is the rhodes piano melody play in the verses, enhancing the song’s melancholic tone.
The pacing is deliberately slow, leaving the way open for vocals to shine.
The rawness in Sawashiro’s low and mid tones is one of the points in which his performance stands out. Adding to this is his renewed control, polished vibrato, and improved approach to his performances as Alto. A solid take on this song. 5/5
Final rating:
The final entry in Marginal #4’s GALACTI9★SONG Series counts with Unicorn Jr.’s Alto.
The leading track, Pa!! PARADISO is a return to 00s old-school hip-hop. Funk, hip-hop, and jazz cross paths in this tune and leave behind their best bits.
The groovy bass line, the hard-hitting, bass drum beat and the fancy guitar and brass work. The arrangement couldn’t have been better, making all of these elements and music genres stand out without making one completely take over the composition.
This is an unexpected song, a pleasant surprise that came with a stellar performance and the best instrumental in the whole series. Memorable track.
His take on PARCO was also unexpected. Sawashiro showed that he has been improving his vocals, this time showcasing more of his technique in this performance.
All in all, Alto’s entry in the GALACTI9★SONG Series not only wraps up this series in style but also snatches the crown as the best song of the series.
GALACTI9★SONG Series #9 is available for purchase at CDJAPAN.
