Ringo News 2015
 

Because it is no longer the year of our Lord Twenty Fourteen, it's time to make a new thread, so here goes, with the first tidbit of Ringo news of '15:

As brought up by mrnarse:

Whether or not this constitutes as the new single listed on the prophetic Chinese blog is yet to be seen. I surely hope not. Could it be that Chinese Nostradamus got it wrong this time?

Also "Magnificent Counterattack" -is this a sequel to "Quiet Counterattack"? Will this song be as badly mastered as SUNNY? Will Jihad inexplicably like it? Will my scoffing initial impressions lead to eventual approval? Questions, questions, questions for a song that ultimately will be forgotten after one spin! (well, at least till Reimport 2) :-p

#tryingtomakethemostoutofnothing

All these questions don't matter. The important thing is to accept that Ringo is a collaboration artist and will stay this way for a long long time, until Sonata and Noa become economically independent adults. Also, becoming a hardcore Ringo collector is irrelevant, irrational, and inconsequential. Last but not least, SMAP sucks balls.

Some extra info if anyone actually cares:

The show this new SMAP song is from is starting tomorrow so we'll be able to get a taste of it pretty soon.

Also, single it's from is a double a-side. As far as I can tell, noone knows if Ringo penned both songs or just the one.

Guess just wait till it officially pops up on Kronekodow to find out.

http://ukigumoch.blog.jp/archives/42152708.html

It's saying here that the rumored 2/11 single is now scheduled for release on 2/25. If we're going by the SMAP announcement's timeframe, then we should get an official announcement of the new Ringo single in about a week.

Her single will also be a drama tie-in, so we should hear it sometime this month.

http://www.ktv.jp/zeni/index.html

This is the site of the show that features the SMAP song. I think the trailer may have it playing in the background, but it's almost inaudible cause of the dialog from the show.

If her single ties in with a drama too, it better be along the lines of Oishii Kitesu.

I see AKB member Yuko Oshima in that trailer.

Kronekodow:

SMAPに楽曲提供！
椎名林檎が、ＳＭＡＰに楽曲を書き下ろしいたしました。タイトルは「華麗な る逆襲」。この曲は、ドラマ「銭の戦争」の主題歌ともなっていて、2月18日（水）にはシングルリリースも予定されています。2012年の「真夏の脱獄 者」以来の椎名林檎×ＳＭＡＰ。「華麗なる逆襲」、どうぞご期待ください。

ＳＭＡＰニューシングル
「華麗なる逆襲」
2月18日（水）リリース

ドラマ「銭の戦争」
1月6日（火）スタート
フジテレビ系　22時～
※初回のみ21時開始

Should be able to hear the OP at least by tomorrow.

Still no official announcement on her own single yet.

am actually in japan now so I shall try to catch this tonight......

Only the regular edition of the single has a remix version of the 華麗なる逆襲. Limited editions don't have that. It's like limited edition is a nice jewel box with turd on the inside, whereas the regular edition is turd with jewel on the inside.

Ringo got SMAP'd

From end credits of show.
Sounds lame. Coulda been written by anyone, I hear no Ringo-isms whatsoever.

Who's buying? :-p

New Shiina single is official. Release date 2/25.

http://natalie.mu/music/news/135692

Title of the single is "至上の人生", shijou no jinsei. Translates to "supreme life" or "life of supremacy".

TYCT-30039　1,080円

2 tracks on the single, no official word yet on the second track.

It'll be used in the upcoming Shibasaki Kou Drama "○○妻", which premieres on the 14th of this month.

http://www.ntv.co.jp/tsuma/

So, 5-character title? That's new at least. I wonder how this'll sound from the title.

Hopefully the B-side is as quality as Sakasa ni Kazoete.

On that shows website there's apparently a preview with the song playing in it. Haven't had chance to look yet, but I've read 2 people say "sounds like Jihen" already :-p

http://www.ntv.co.jp/tsuma/movie/index.html

Content blocked in your country.

ESIT: Got round it. Wouldn't say it sounds like Jihen. Pretty much sounds like an old school SS-era Ringo rock ballad to me (written by Nu-Ringo of course). Could be good... approaching with optimistic caution.

None of the free Japanese proxy server addresses I can find online are working right now, so I can't tell if the song's in those preview videos or not.

^What'd you do to bypass the regional blocking?

Hola worked for me.


Fig 1. Shiina Ringo when she looked at her bank account this morning

Anyway, if anyone is having trouble with getting the show preview to work, attached a rip of the audio from the video (it's the best quality that the video goes up to :-/, delete if breaking rules):

The preview sounds promising despite the Marilyn Monroe rip-off look on her face.

You say that now, AFTER the time to complain about the Marilyn Monroe look window has long closed???

Nothing wrong with complaining repeatedly when hair style is responsible for 50% of a woman's attractiveness. :p

Ringo hasn't looked like Ringo for a while.

Yep, that's the legit cover, no bullshit. On Kronekodow.

2月25日、椎名林檎ニューシングル！
来たる2月25日（水）、椎名林檎が早くもシングルをリリースすることが決まりました。タイトルは『至上の人生』！この曲は、1月14日（水）よりスタートする日本テレビ系のドラマ「○○妻」の主題歌として書き下ろされたもの。期待大です。

椎名林檎 2015ニューシングル
『至上の人生』2月25日（水）発売

詳しくはこちらから。

What kind of a supreme life is that walking in cold weathers at night?...

Thanks, Orenji!

Hmm, adds perspective, but Ringos still looks fucking cheap. Coltrane's looks natural and thought out, the font on Ringo's looks like it's slapped on a random stock picture.

Also, the border is just tacky...

Good to know John Coltrane invented Impact font :-p

Anyway, I goddamn ordered. Alongside some other shit I missed though, so it's not so bad.

EDIT: Before we guessed what influences she had. With this and SUNNY (Marilyn Monroe) she pretty much just tells us outright. Is this what her new 'phase' is gonna be about? Who's next? Hope it's Elvis.

Full song comes out digitally on the 14th I read.

That is so generic. Looks just like some cheap Jazz FM compilation album using a bit of stock photography.

Still, anything is a step above Sunny's dire artwork.

It kinda reminds me of when this one came out:



Except at least that had the peacock/was actually a nice photo.

Theyve been showing previews of Ringo Expo 14 on TV in Japan this morning, hence, I assume Blu Ray will be announced soon enough. However, if the previews are to go on, I hope they fix the audio cause man, reverb overkill.

She could have elevated it slightly by being in the photo. Drunkenly stumbling home with broken wings after the Nippon shambles on the live show. That would have at least showed effort. Laziness like that makes me wonder if a similar attitude was taken with the music?


:P

If she wore wings on the cover *I'd* call Togawa rip-off haha.

I would always thought A Love Supreme one of the worst covers I have ever seen.

If anything, it should be this:

Those aren't leg supremes though, these are:

Ringo on the new song:

"作業中はずっと、柴咲コウさん演じるひかりが林檎を手にしていらっしゃるお姿を思い浮かべていました。
　誰かを愛するとき、時間は歪みます。そうして我を忘れた果てには、ほんとうの自己との邂逅があります。
「そこへ至る道を描けたなら、やっとわたしがこのミッションを遂行したことになる」と、考えていました。
　遊川和彦氏と大平太氏のお二人からは、たくさんオーダーをいただきました。全部盛り込んだつもりです。
　すてきな作品へ参加させてくださり有り難うございます。この曲がそっと寄添って溶込んでくれますよう。"

Anyone care to give a non-jibberish translation?

The Koufukuron re-issue did that style of cover better.

p cool tbh

Homage is the excuse of the lazy and the unoriginal.

^A little harsh and exaggerated maybe, but in the case of this slap bang job, the lazy part definitely applies.

Still, the more I hear of the actual song, the more I'm getting confident about it. Probably will be better than the new tracks on SUNNY at least. Only time will tell if the mastering makes ears bleed or not.

Nothing is original, etc.

That preview (thanks, deadgrandma) reminds me of some other song and it's really bugging me.

Heart bypass surgery disagrees with you mmmkay?

You may remember that Oomori paid an homage to Ringo on her Mahou Ga cover. I wouldn't exactly call her "unoriginal" or "lazy".

Oomori pays homages to heaps of stuff. So yeah, in Inseu's books, lazy and unoriginal.

Ringo has been paying homage to artists for fucking years now too... starting with, oh, Muzai Moratorium and it's blatant homages to Alanis Morisette etc. That unoriginal, lazy bitch!

Seriously though, please don't tell me you're defending the new single cover, which actually is lazy though :-p It brings me to wonder how much involvement Ringo actually has with album/DVD/Vinyl covers- sseems she doesn't really give a fuck about integrity/no real quality control seems evident anymore.

Nah, not defending this single cover, which is too blatant IMO. The preview didn't sound too bad though. Sounds like something that could possibly have been on Muzai or Shouso.

Oomori is overzealous and demonizing, not girlfriend material.

Ringo is an angel compare to Alanis Morisette, whose music is pretty much unlistenable now, whereas MM still contains masterpieces such as Playing With Blocks, which perfectly combines hard rock and traditional Japanese music. If anything, Ringo was pawning Alanis rather than paying her homage.

Could it be one of Ringo's own songs? I think the preview sounds a lot like the verses in Mellow, Gamble, or Oishii Kisetsu (in terms of chord progression/rhythm) and I do NOT have a problem with that.

Also, thank you DG for posting it! :)

I'm not sure... I think I'm thinking of a song in English, it plays in my head with a male voice that kind of sounds like Depeche Mode's lead. It's probably nothing but it's bugging me :whacko:

Just tasted Chef Ringo's latest sushi, it's delicious.

If youre talking about the track you posted in CLT, it's pretty FISHY.

New song: no frills but certainly not bad Ringo ballad.

Maybe the bside will have more balls.

Love the guitar work, reminds me of early PJ Harvey.

Is it wishful thinking to hope it's actually Ringo playing?

Probably better than all new tracks on Sunny at the very least.
As good as Sora ga... at the very most.

As good as most of the stuff on SUNNY =p

Sonically quite congruent with the sound on tracks like Shizukanaru gyakushu, but prettier melody.

EDIT: Figured out what I love so much about it - it sounds like an Elephant Kashimashi track. <3

In an interview I remember Shiina saying one of her favorite albums at the time was the newest Elephant Kashimashi album, so that got me to check them out. Not a bad band at all.

^they are srsly The Shit. she actually did a cover of one of their most famous songs (kanashimi no hate) with hirai ken. sadly I've not been able to find that performance anywhere since.

I suggest boycotting this single, so that sales drop and then Ringo might get the message the cover needs to be more thoughtful!

The songs will be repackaged into her next album and next b-side collection anyway, so whoever buys it is either a completist or a complete sucker.

This song would be 20% better if she didn't gasp after every line.

A Length Supreme. Lol.

:D /r/dadjokes

A 90s sounding song wouldn't be the same without the 90s edge in the vocals :-p

WTF any of this has to do with the Coltrane reference is anyone's guess. Maybe she was just trying to appeal to the hipster crowd. Or the bside is jazzy/features SAPS.

You don't enjoy the oppose sex close to your age breathing warm air into your ear?

like x1994

You should all be on dadjokes.

Even more details from a what.CD user:

Single info:
タイトル（英名）：SHIJOU NO JINSEI

曲目タイトル：

[Disc1]
『至上の人生』／CD
アーティスト：椎名林檎
曲目タイトル：
1.至上の人生 (Shijou no Jinsei) [4:12]
2.どん底まで (Donkozo made) [2:48]

The DVD & Blu-ray release of the recent concert tour has just been announced. Releases on 3/18:

http://www.kronekodow.com/gaiko/150318dvd.html

First press will have a 3D Lenticular cover on a hardcover book style case. Also a photo book "pamphlet" will be included, which if I understand correctly will contain photos of the outfits she wore during the tour.

2015年3月18日発売！
DVD：TYBT-19011　5,500円（税抜）
Blu-ray：TYXT-19005　6,400円（税抜）

Will order, but only sorta want.

Edit: Ordered from Amazon, blu ray is currently 5,547 yen- quite a significant discount that pretty much covers the shipping cost.

Aaaaaannnnnd...ordered!

Blu Ray aint gonna get much cheaper than that.

And that includes 3 day international shipping.

Why anyone would use anything but Amazon for this is beyond me.

EDIT: I have just been informed that since I made that order, they've put the price back up to full. However, don't despair, I'm sure it will come back down again (maybe even further) before release, as usual.

Yup, comes out to about $52 USD. You'll get it only 24-48 hours after everyone in Japan gets it if they ship it out a little before the release day like they usually do.

If anyone orders from Amazon Japan and has a credit card with no foreign currency fees (like a Capital One), you'll usually save a buck or two by choosing the option to pay in yen instead of dollars at checkout (at least in the US).

Damn, I wish I ordered that yesterday. If I understand correctly, it will be discontinued after first press... :(

Can anyone confirm this? Want to sleep on this for current financial reason, but might spring if this is actually true.

It's hard to tell how limited the first press will be. Usually there's a separate product number for the first press and regular editions when they're first released, but this time there's just one each for DVD and Blu-ray.

I wouldn't worry about it. It took a long time for other Ringo Blu-rays first press to sell out.

The amount of hardcore fans saying they're gonna "skip this one" (based on it's cost) is interesting- the base price is quite ridiculous for a single disc release, looking back at other releases it is a bit higher too. Better have significant packaging but I doubt it.

It will include a photobook and a 3D cover, or a 3D cover photobook (wow you are releasing it as avex-like product, aren't you ringo?) And no, only 2 product number present right now. Amazon cut back number's new single in first press right after the release date. So, I'm quite worry about it. (Even though only toutaikai's DVD first press has been sold out, other Ringo's first presses remain available for purchase.)

Trust me, it'll take a few weeks after release minimum till it sells out.

She's not AKB.

Yeah, you're right. The price dropped few minutes ago, and I ordered :P

You know what, I'm imagining the cover to be a similar style to SUNNY, but IN 3D!

Blegh. Made myself vomit a little bit.

It's sad that I'm more looking forward to this to get this damn SUNNY era over and done with than the actual content itself.

Honestly, this is definitely the most dead I've ever seen EMF upon news of a new live DVD/Blu Ray in the time I've been on here (not to mention on last.fm, JPS too)...

Guess its that near 7000 yen pricetag :-p

Well, there's not a lot of us here, honestly. That, and it is pretty expensive.

Honestly, I listened to SUNNY for the first time a couple of weeks ago and had nothing to say about it either way.

I think I'm approaching "had enough" status.

To be fair there's nothing much to be said when there's nothing much to talk about. I'm excited about the release and have pre-ordered it and there's nothing more to be said until some clips or something service. I already love 80% of the setlist, so I hope the performance lives up to my expectations.

On another note, she updated her FB profile picture, and she is now blonde, like me!

The blonde pic coincides with the main track of the new single being put up on iTunes.



Edit: The Ringohan newsletter is describing the picture as her 2015 look and persona, a move away from "2014 mode Ringo", while describing 2015 Ringo's picture as giving off the impression of strong will.

^ She looks like 2012 GACKT.

Jihen did the fusion dance for their tenth anniversary. Makes sense.

It reminds me "La Salle de bain" :o

"Ultra C-na Ringo"

Shijou no jinsei is really good, better than most of the new songs on Sunny.

Better than ALL new songs on Sunny. Fixed :lol:

But seriously, this could be a faith restorer. I love it. Even with its ridiculous, almost annoying hard SSSSSSSS sounds on both her voice and the cymbals.

Mostly because it is not composed by Ringo...lol jk

Edit: The composer name from the iTunes store is Leonard Rosenman, was it a shelved song before?

Wow, I didn't know that.

レナード・ローゼンマン, this song was composed by this guy, if UMG didn't mess up the tags on itunes

I see, it's another IT WAS YOU kinda deal. That song was also better than all the new Sunny songs LOLZ

Wait, hold on. Maybe Ringo was inspired by him. From kronekorow, <- this is horribly wrong, the song should be composed by Leonard. Sorry that I didn't get enough sleep.

Well, it would be weird if it was a new composition by him, seeing as he's dead.

You know what, maybe, not counting Flight JL005.

Interesting if she didn't compose it.

Maybe it is a shelved composition from him, and Ringo picked it.

Not gonna go down the better/worse than SUNNY route again (what a tired debate); loved SUNNY like balls (and I really really love balls; tmi)

Like the song, wish there was a bridge of sorts, like Amiamaru tomi. But then again this song -isn't- AT.

With some luck, the bside will be as good or better. Will make for best SR solo single since hmmm... AT? (Though I do love the Carnation single as a single).

Fingers crossed she doesn't release 6 singles before the next album (over 5 years) and shove them on it like on SUNNY, that's just a cheap thing to do, particularly for Shiina Ringo.

Also: Who's playing guitar on this? Sounds the best in years- if its actually Ringo herself I will probably freak!

^ don't think she will. She's been releasing at a fairly steady momentum so I think we could probably expect an album maybe next year?