August 2022 was a month filled with surprises. TOBARI teamed up with Takeshi Hama to steal the show, Tasuku Hatanaka delivers a funky album with dashes of surrealism, Re:vale matured as artists and more.
The 8th episode of the new video feature on The Hand That Feeds HQ’s YouTube channel is out!
As the name says, Monthly Review is a monthly feature in which I find yet another excuse to talk about male seiyuu music and 2D groups.
This is a feature in which I get on camera covering the most impressive/buzzworthy releases in any given month – and hidden gems that not many people may end up paying attention to -, counting on your participation as well in all 4 corners:
- Best of the month (3 best/buzzworthy/gems of every given month as picked by me + 3 suggested by THTFHQ readers
- Monthly Choice (3 CD suggestions by me – regardless of when the CDs were released – and 3 suggestions by THTFHQ readers)
- Music in the Horizon (a look at next month’s releases – it mixes my and your comments on upcoming releases)
- Ask Vanessa* (ask me anything about male seiyuu or 2D music)
*Title subject to change, if you have suggestions for a title for this section, do leave those in the comments
This month’s episode is all about the music released in August 2022.
August 2022 was set to be an uneventful month however it more than exceed my expectations. From unexpected collaborations to performances that had everyone’s emotions on the edge up until funky good vibes, there was a little bit of everything.
But let’s talk about the highlights of the month.
HOUND ROAR continues to impress with yet another song in which elegance and allure are in perfect harmony.
In “unfair“, the band brought to the spotlight orchestral music, and that, allied to their acid-jazz sound gave way to one of the most impressive songs released both in August 2022 and so far in 2022.
Re:vale matured as a group and “Re:flect In” is the perfect example of that.
The talented duo part of the IDOLiSH7 franchise and with vocals by Shinnosuke Tachibana and Shoichiro Hoshi dazzled with an album filled with groovy tunes.
Do expect acoustic pop-rock, funk, and jazz to drive this album forward and highlight the growth the group (and its voice cast) has undergone in the past couple of years.
And do check “Storyteller”, the best song in this album.
Tasuku Hatanaka had a surprisingly underwhelming reception by his fans, barely selling 1000 copies in its first week however let me tell you, if you haven’t checked this album, you’re missing out a lot.
Hatanaka has matured as an artist and singer, now bringing new weapons to his arsenal, his versatility makes it so that fans of rock, EDM, jazz, and ballads will equally enjoy this album. There is surrealism in here which is something that, in a way, was completely unexpected coming from him.
And, of course, there are plenty of impressive performances by one of the most technical singers among male seiyuu.
So even if you didn’t see many people talk about this album, do check it. While not an upgrade in comparison with “FIGHTER“, “Real” is a rock-solid entry and one of the strongest pop albums released by male seiyuu in 2022.
TOBARI arrived and… stole the show out of nowhere with “In – Black with high purity“. And I love this a whole lot.
The talented group part of the TSUKIPRO franchise (actually part of the fictional Sunpro music label) resumed activities as a duo after 2 years of working as pioniX.
Tetsuei Sumiya and Yoshiki Nakajima took the duo’s intense rock sound and brought in… Takeshi Hama and Zakbee, two of the best composers currently active with 2D music projects.
Takeshi Hama added layers and layers of darkness and violence to Kuroi Hashiba (CV: Tetsuei Sumiya)’s solo track “Setsunateki Blast” and Zakbee made sure the vocals were extra unbelievable in the dreamy b-side track “moonlight“.
What fans get in this CD – easily the best entry by any group in the Tsukipro franchise as a whole – is a set of outstandingly technical performances with refreshing and, at times, mind-blowing, instrumentals to go along.
If you haven’t checked “In – Black with High Purity“, I thoroughly welcome you to do so. This is not only a highlight in August 2022 but also of the year.
These and more thoughts/comments can be found in the almost 1-hour-ish episode that just dropped on the channel and that you can find in this article as well.
Please remember that these episodes are much more interesting with your insights, so do participate when the survey is open on social media. Although only 3 were chosen for each corner (less if there were fewer submissions from you), do know I’ve read them all. I read everything and keep being impressed by your musical sensibility!
THTFHQ’s community is filled with talented individuals, fans of music, and voice acting that geek as hard – or even more – about both things as I do!
Do you want to participate in MONTHLY REVIEW?
This show is a collaborative work between you and me, sharing our love for male seiyuu and 2D music projects so don’t be shy to participate.
And don’t worry about not having perfect English writing or the sort, we all make mistakes and even I am not a native speaker – and typos are really my bread and butter here on the website – so don’t let that stop you from participating, should you want to!
As always, in the 1st week of every month, the survey to participate in next month’s episode will be shared on THTFHQ’s social media (Facebook and Twitter) and on THTFHQ’s YouTube channel‘s community section (make sure to subscribe to not miss the notification, or lurk if you don’t want to subscribe).
You can participate as many times you want, I only ask that you avoid submitting the same answers in the various entries you make in this feature.
The goal is to feature as many CDs as possible, not to talk only about 1 or 2 CDs.
If the links are not working, CLICK HERE to check the video.
