EDEN “THE GENESIS” (Review)

Get ready to be swept away with addictive, edgy instrumentals and top tier vocals. EDEN’s “THE GENESIS” is a impressive debut release.

Title: Ensemble Stars! unit single CD Eden
Label: Pony Canyon
Release date: 21/02/2018
Genre: Dance Pop/Pop-Rock

Tracklist:

1.THE GENESIS (performed by Adam)
2.Ruler’s Truth (performed by Eve)
3.Trap For You (performed by Eden)
4.THE GENESIS (instrumental)
5.Ruler’s Truth (instrumental)
6.Trap For You (instrumental)

Track by track analysis:

1 – THE GENESIS

If there’s a way you want to impress the listener, it’s this way. Donning an edgy blend of EDM pop, melodic guitar sections and heavy guitar riffs, EDEN show everyone that they have the backbone and vocals of a worthy rival unit. Their sound is dark and strangely addictive, making good use of a slow-paced instrumental in which soothing pads and dirty synths coexist with powerful guitar riffs. The instrumental stands out right from the start for its unusually authoritative vibe. Just like with the instrumental, we were thoroughly impressed with the vocals. High notes, some of those in falsetto, melodies for all tastes, total synchronicity, these are just something of the things that impressed us while listening to this song. Uchida and Hanae are in charge of high notes, flourishes while Suwabe and Osaka add depth to the vocal performance with well needed melodic mid-tones. 5/5

2 – Ruler’s Truth

Adam completely change gears for their unit song “Ruler’s Truth”. Synths were completely set aside in favor for a simple, mid-tempo rock instrumental meant to excite the listener. This was something we weren’t expecting from this unit, especially after listening them performing a dance song. Regardless, Adam fit well with this kind of sound that ups the tempo, uses raging guitar riffs and thunderous solos to impress,even adding some layers of a rich deep bass sound courtesy of the snary/bassy drums and a mesmerizing bassline. The pacing and progression, with quieter, acoustic verses and electrifying choruses, grabbed our attention in an instant. On the vocal end, Suwabe and Osaka rely on deep to mid-tones, adding a rawer, rougher touch to their performance. Although we only got a glimpse, this song has rap parts, something unexpected, especially considering the song’s progression. 4.5/5

3 – Trap For You

Eve’s sound is yet another surprise for us. Forget synths, forget rock, this unit is all about sounding melodic and jazz-rock with Latin influences is their natural habitat. This instrumental is the funkiest of all 3, focusing on reverberating basslines, Latin percussion and bassy drums. An upbeat piano melody and brass give this instrumental a fun twist, all while the guitars add some spice to this rich layered instrumental. Easily the most complete and fun instrumental, “Trap For You” has an equally entertaining and engaging vocal track. Uchida and Hanae are a perfect fit for this kind of song – with a proficiency to make everything they sing sound smooth and classy at the same time. 4.5/5

Final details: 

EDEN debuted with a bang. This special unit that includes Adam (Junichi Suwabe & Ryota Osaka) and Eve (Yuma Uchida & Natsuki Hanae) proved to be a talented outfit, focused on melodic vocal performances dressed in an imposing, edgy EDM pop sound. THE GENESIS couldn’t have started this CD any better. There’s not much we can say about this song aside from: try listen to it. If you’re into dark EDM pop tunes you’ll love it from the first second of it. And trust us, this song is as addictive as it gets.

After listening this release you won’t help but to notice that Adam and Eve, as separate units, have a completely different dynamic and identity. One embraces rock, exciting the listener with fast paced instrumentals and raging guitar riffs, whereas the other dons a more relaxed blend of jazz and pop. As a joint unit, they are a completely different entity, with a unique sound and vibe. Suwabe‘s the powerful baritone in charge of those deep, alluring notes – that he’s so well known for -, Osaka, although not as skilled as the other three members, manages to keep up with everyone and deliver two solid performances, Uchida and Hanae are the most technically skilled singers bringing to the table falsettos and melodic mid-tones. As a quartet, EDEN are one of the most complete 2.5D units we’ve heard so far. There’s virtually nothing this lineup, as EDEN, can’t achieve in the vocal department. They’re a well versed, experienced group of seiyuu that have their hands in more than a couple of idol projects, with proven quality and skill. As separate units, Eve have the best sound and strongest lineup.

It’s interesting to find this duality, two different units that despite having embraced completely different music genres, when together create a completely different and unique outfit. “Ruler’s Truth” and “Trap For You” might slightly fail the mark to fully impress us, but are still interesting tunes that you might want to listen to, especially if you want to get more familiar with their sound.

All in all, EDEN‘s “THE GENESIS” is a fantastic release filled with quality vocals and interesting instrumentals. Get ready to be swept away with a powerful unit donning addictive, edgy instrumentals and top tier vocals. EDEN’s “THE GENESIS” is the start of something great for both units.

Ensemble Stars! unit single CD Eden”  is available for purchase on CDJAPAN for all overseas fans.

 

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Vanessa Silva
Vanessa Silvahttps://www.handthatfeedshq.com
The Hand That Feeds HQ founder, content creator, and music reviewer. Basically, the only person managing everything at The Hand That Feeds HQ. Stumbling upon Mamoru Miyano's "Orpheus" in 2011 was the start of this journey. If music is thought-provoking or deep, you may find her writing almost essays (not limited to, but it happens a lot with Soma Saito's music). She's the producer and host of the male seiyuu-centric podcast, SEIYUU LOUNGE (see Spotify link in this profile).

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