 |
Ichiro
Itou Mitsuru
Igarashi Kaori
Mochida |
|
Every Little Thing examplifies every little thing that I feel pop should be. Fun, catchy and danceable with beautiful melody and wonderful vocals. Admittedly I find the majority of pop groups to be pretty trite and derivitive with some notable exceptions. But I changed my tune after discovering ELT and have since been more prepared to give pop a chance. I was totally blown away when I first heard this group. Their fast songs are always instantly catchy and danceable while their slower songs are really moving. The composition of the songs is full of wonderful melody and rhythm with an epic mood. The lead singer has a rich and clear voice that is mesmerizing. Additionally the guitars add a subtle rocking feel to the songs to give them that extra kick.
At first I thought Kaori sounded a lot like the vocalist of famed pop group Zard, Izumi Sakai. Then when I started hearing other fans say the same thing, I realized it wasn't just my imagination. However after listening more closely, I feel that Kaori's vocal style is more current while Izumi's vocal stylings are based more in an older J-pop sound. They're both have two of the richest and most melodious voices in J-pop, but if I had to pick one, I'd say I prefer Kaori.
ELT is still a relatively new band having made their debut in the Fall of 1996. In that short time they've released 5 bestselling albums. Two of those albums are original albums, one a compilation of their singles plus a few new songs and the remaining two are remixes of the original ELT songs. There is an apparent change in style between their debut album "Everlasting" and their follow-up album "Time To Destination". In Everlasting, the songs were mostly energetic and danceable with the slow songs done in a very haunting electronic style. But in Time to Destination the music relies slightly less on synthesized sound and places more emphasis on Kaori's singing ability. Overall the style has become more organic and there are just a bit less dance oriented songs (although there's no shortage of those either). But either way the music is exceptional and I cannot decide which album I like best. Even the two remix counterparts to the original albums are quite good. More often than not I find when songs are remixed, the changes are so minimal that it's hardly worth justifying its release. Usually just a few background sounds are replaced or they add a simple eurobeat. So for the most part, remixes have limited appeal and just end up ruining a perfectly good song. But what sets ELT remixes apart from the norm is that a real effort is made to create a dance or house music from the original songs that can stand on their own. They're actually a very different experience from the originals and are quite good. Unfortunately like many pop groups that have had sudden success, ELT's music shows signs that it has begun to wear a bit thin. Nearly all of their recent songs sound similar to each other with the guitars, keyboards and sampling all derivative of past songs. Whereas ELT exploded on the scene for their debut and continued to amaze with their followup album, now it seems as if they're just going through the motions. The composition of the music is well-done, but I just feel that I've heard it all before. Kaori's singing is still excellent as ever, but the music backing her up has failed to evolve and progress. But don't get me wrong. I'm still a fan and reccomend them to anyone who likes pop music. ELT still is one of the most consistently enjoyable pop groups I've ever heard. They certainly opened my mind to this kind of pop music. Give 'em a try if you haven't already.
Mason's top 20 favorite ELT songs
Every Little Thing Links Every
Little Thing Shrine |
ELT
is produced by Mitsuru Igarashi who also programs the music and plays
keyboards for the band. So he pretty much does all of the most important
work. Igarashi was already an established producer under the gigantic
Avex Trax record label wanting to start a new band when he found Kaori's
demo tape. He was so impressed with her voice that he waited for her
to graduate high school before signing her with the company. Igarashi
also convinced his friend Ichiro Itou to provide the band with electric
guitar accompanyment. Itou was only planning to be a supporting member
temporarily. But after Every Little Thing became an instant success,
he made the wise descision to stay as an official member. As a guitarist
he's fully competent just as any other successful band musician would
have to be. But I can't say I care much for his performance style. His
guitar solos are kind of cheezy and predictable while his stage prescence
is rather stilted (looks almost as if he'd rather be someplace else).
But it's really not that big a deal. He gets the job done pretty well.
Of
course my favorite part of ELT is the vocalist Kaori Mochida (who is
such a cutie-pie). In my biased opinion Kaori is one the most enjoyable
female singers in all of Japanese music. Her voice is rich, strong and
refreshing, bringing to mind clear skies, bright sunshine and crystal
waters. Just listening to her sing makes me feel all warm and tingly.
Admittedly, Kaori doesn't display the same level of skill and range
of vocal style of other artists like Chara and Kohmi Hirose. Unlike
them, she seldom does any cool tricks with her voice or plays around
with a different singing style. Her singing is almost always played
straight. But even without that diversity that some of her more experienced
and creative contemporaries are able to display, her singing is still
among the best. Simply because of the heavenly quality of her voice.
Kaori
started out at the age of 15 in an all girl group named the Kuro Buta
All Stars. By 18 she became the vocalist of ELT and has quickly become
a very popular idol and role model among young women.
