Happy Birthday Ayumi Hamasaki, just 30 today. For those of you unfamiliar with Ayu, you're seriously missing a Jpop genius. Ayu's often referred to as the Japanese Madonna, but she's way better than old Madge ;)
This is the album that did it for me The opening track with killer guitar solo, blew me away. Been a fan ever since.
Never Ever (2001) Release Date: 7 March 2001
AVCD-30231
01. NEVER EVER "Original Mix"
02. NEVER EVER "Yuta's prayer mix"
03. SEASONS "H-H remix"
04. NEVER EVER "PROJECT O.T MIX"
05. NEVER EVER "Laugh & Peace MIX"
06. NEVER EVER "Empty Pot Shuttlecock wood"
07. evolution "Ayu Can Hear U Mix"
08. NEVER EVER "nicely nice hot stab remix"
09. NEVER EVER "tears of aquarius mix"
10. NEVER EVER "Original Mix -Instrumental-"
Here's a live shorter version of the opening track. I have no idea what the words are in English, all I know is I believe every word she sings.
AYUMI HAMASAKI - NEVER EVER LIVE
This live guitar intro by Yoshio to Endless Sorrow in a 2005/06 tour will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. It's magnificent.
Ayumi Hamasaki Countdown Live 2005//06 Endless Sorrow guitar intro by Yoshio Endless Sorrow ~Intro~ CDL05//06
This is a great little rockn track MissUnderstood. wonderful production and maturity in Ayu's voice.
Ayumi Hamasaki - Missunderstood > shinobi movie
Ayu's remixes are astounding and inventive. She works with a very wide range of producers covering all sorts of dance styles. Here's a hot Morning Musume remix, although it'd be nice if someone taught them how to shuffle ;) This track is part of MSO Xtreem Shuffle challenge, do your own remix with shuffling in it.
Morning Musume Ayumi Hamasaki remix
And another killer track BOLD and DELICIOUS with english subtitles. This one has not been far from my sound system the past couple of years, it's brilliant, in production and writing.
AYUMI HAMASAKI - BOLD AND DELICIOUS
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
miss BOLD AND DELICIOUS
AYUMI HAMASAKI
So check out her work, she writes and records her own music, she plays keyboards, performs with symphony orchestras and the dance remixes are brilliant, but very few of them are on youtube, so check out her site and jpop forum for tour dates, free downloads and buy the originals, they're superb.
And perhaps just a couple of trance remixes to go out on ;)
Ayumi Hamasaki - "M" (Above & Beyond Cyber Trance Remix)
AYUMI HAMASAKI - FLY HIGH RMX
...And lets finish with the hauntingly beautiful Dolls, from the movie of the same name. Ayu plays piano in this one, and we have some Rozen Maiden visuals to go with it.
Ayumi Hamasaki Dolls - with Rozen Maiden remix
Here's the actual DOLLS film trailer. It's a fantastic Takeshi Kitano film from 2002. It's available on DVD, well worth seeing.
DOLLS Trailer. Takeshi Kitano 2002