Welcome to producer spotlight! Here I’m going to highlight
talented Vocaloid producers and their works. This week’s producer: Iwashi-P.
Iwashi is a fairly obscure producer, with only a few of his
videos getting more than 10,000 hits. That’s a darn shame, because he (or she?)
is an absolute god with KAITO. One of the best things about him is that he has
a distinct, signature style to his tuning. In his hands, the normally shrill
KAITO sounds husky and deep. Probably some mixture of gender factor and low clarity.
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| Don't think KAITO can be hardcore? Just wait. |
His songs have a dark, mournful feel. They are very
atmospheric, with lots of pulsing rhythms. Not quite techno, not quite rock,
but a sort of earthy-pop. KAITO appears to be the only Vocaloid he works with,
but don’t let that turn you off if you don’t like the blue boy. Let’s take a
closer look at some of his works.
His very first song was called “receive,” released back in
2008. I couldn’t find any uploads of it on Youtube, so if you want to check it
out you’ll have to use niconico. Anyways, this is definitely an amateur work,
more of a test run than anything. However, you can tell that the composer has
talent. It sounds distinct and cohesive, albeit with only traces of the
elements that would later define Iwashi. http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm3222294
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| Iwashi also draws the cover images for his songs. |
Things improved immensely with “crow.” Once again, it’s not
on Youtube. This song finds a nice balance between sounding like a dirge and a
war chant. It’s face-paced without being sugary.
“Oni to Musume” (or ogre and the maiden) is probably his
most popular work. It’s based on a Japanese folk-tale about a blind girl
falling in love with a monster. The sounds fits very well, with a rustic,
old-school Japan
feel. There are a lot of traditional instruments, and the overall feel is that
of a ballad. The mixing isn’t the greatest, but it is a beautiful song. And it
comes with a cute PV!
From this point on, his songs are all awesome. My personal
favorite is “Scissors.” I only understand a few words, but I would guess it’s
some sort of bitter break-up song/ yandere thing. What’s great about it is that
it sounds more angry than whiny. It’s filled with longing and resentment. And a
pretty sick beat.
His latest song to date is “free word mind game.” It’s much more
“pop” than a lot of his works, with a very bouncy, upbeat rhythm. However, the
chorus has that cyber-punk element that makes Iwashi unique. Definitely worth a
listen.
Iwashi only comes out with a couple songs a year. However,
every one of his songs is a treat. He’s talented, and he deserves more views
than he gets. So if you like KAITO or electronic music, check out his stuff.
You won’t be disappointed.
Do you have a producer you want spotlighted? Feel free to leave me a suggestion in the comments!
Posts
Hi there! Thank you for the post putting a spotlight on IwashiP! (Never mind how late I am to stumble across this...) I am a die-hard fan of his works, and I too find every piece he has created ambient in its own unique way. I wanted to let you know that I am translating the majority of his songs and uploading subtitled versions of the videos to YouTube. If you are interested, feel free to check it out. My YT username is dreamweaver515. And if you would ever like to discuss impressions of the songs in more detail, don't hesitate to let me know. :)
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