The danceable tempo of 140 BPM is comfortable! 10 Anime Songs for Fall 2021 Anime! Hiroyuki Deguchi's "Just Shut Up and Listen to Anime Songs! In 2021 Autumn".

Hello to all 10 million anime song fans in Japan. I am Hiroyuki Deguchi, a wandering bassist and DJ of anime songs and special effects music. Once a quarter, I'll be back with my overly subjective anime song column, "Just Shut Up and Listen to Anime Songs! This is the first installment of the Fall 2021 anime series, "Just Shut Up and Listen to Anime Songs!

In this column, I will listen to theme songs (opening and ending songs) of newly broadcasted anime works once a quarter, select 10 songs based on my own personal taste and subjectivity, and present what I think you should listen to. I will present what I think is important to listen to in this column. I'll be presenting what I think is worth listening to in my column. "You're crazy not to include that song!" I know some of you may be saying, "Oh, you're crazy not to include that song!

So let's get started!

Here are the 10 songs selected for the Autumn 2021 edition!

Gunma-chan

OP "SWITCH!" Gunma-chan (CV. Hanabayashi Takahashi) / Aoma (CV. Aya Uchida) / Mimi (CV. Yui Ogura)

Sakugan

OP "Ecstatic Labyrinth" by Masaaki Endo

Furumi-san is a comedian.

OP "Cinderella" Cider Girl

Hanma Baki

OP "Treasure Pleasure "GRANRODEO

Blue Period

ED "Replica" mol-74

Card Fight! Vanguard overDress Season2

ED "Fateful... Morfonica

86-86 (2nd season)

ED "Alchemilla" Regal Lily

MUTEKING THE Dancing HERO

OP "Labyrinth" ORANGE RANGE

...I was kicked out of a party of heroes if I wasn't a true companion, so I decided to live a slow life in the frontier...

OP "Breathe in, breathe here, breathe in, live here" YUINISHIO

Tesla Note

ED "Scattered LIFE" Ninomiya Yuy

There were so many good songs in this season, it would be impossible to choose 10 songs from this list! It is a secret only between us that I selected these songs with a sense of resignation and resentment. This may be the first time in this column that most of the songs that really hit the spot for me were under 140 BPM. 140-ish tempo does not give the feeling of running through the air, but it is a tempo that easily creates a bouncy, light groove. It is not too fast, but not too slow either, and each part sounds well-balanced with just the right groove.

The 10 songs selected for this contest are those that have this "just-right groove" that is outstanding. It is not that we chose songs with just the right tempo because extremely fast songs can be tiring to listen to for people of our age, but because the BPM tends to be decreasing overall, so it was inevitable that we chose songs with this tempo.

This time, I would like to focus on the groove and the groove of the music.

Gunma-chan" OP "Switch!

The groove is reminiscent of the dance music of the late '80s and early '90s, and it is supremely cool.

The dance music of the late '80s and early '90s was New Jack Swing. If you imagine Michael Jackson's or Janet Jackson's music, you are almost right. New Jack Swing is characterized by the fact that the rhythm section, which dominates the groove, is not so funky and springy. The various wamono parts, such as guitars, fine percussion, and the main melody, bring an undulating, ultra-funky groove to the song.

The rhythm section supports the bottom with a simple beat, and the funky cowbells with a nice attack, to put it extremely simply, is the essence of New Jack Swing.

The vocals have a loveliness that is in keeping with the world of the work, and the dance music has a solid style. I think it is an anime song with a fresh listening experience, a combination that seems to be possible but actually was not until now.

■"Sakugan" OP "Ecstatic Labyrinth".

This is another great song with a nice groove. The overall groove is laid-back and heavy, and especially in the A melody, the drum and bass rhythm section provides a thrilling back-fluttering groove with a lowered center of gravity. The strength of the rhythm stands out because of the simplicity of the ensemble.

The craftsmanship of the guitars adds just the right amount of accent to the rhythm, and the way the sections freely switch positions with the horn section is an interesting, albeit minor, part of the music.

Above all, the most interesting part, or rather, the heart of this song is "Masaaki Endo's song," and this is what it is all about. While up-tempo, intense tunes are also wonderfully suited and cool, I personally think that songs with a funky groove at this tempo are more suited to Masaaki Endo's voice. The vocals, which are like a mass of energy that goes straight through, drive the entire song with tremendous power. You can see the groove created by the band transformed into something twice or three times stronger by the vocals with their strong presence.

Treasure Pleasure" from "Hanma Baki" OP

While the instrumental structure of the song is almost identical to that of "Ecstatic Labyrinth," the light groove that keeps rolling forward is supremely cool!

Each part has been pursued in its own role, and the result is a stoic song with absolutely no skirts. All the parts and instruments are cool in every single way. As those who have experience with musical instruments will know, there are many phrases that make you want to play them, and there are many climaxes that feel great when played together as a band. I feel the physical strength of the guitarist, bassist, and all the other parts of the band, as if they are pushing their bodies to the limit and challenging each other to straight-ahead, straightforward matches.

This is definitely a song that looks great live.

The arrangement is old-school, which is popular with professionals, and sometimes these songs can seem old-fashioned. However, in this song, the drums dominate the groove of the song with a finesse that is typical of modern music, so there is not the slightest hint of old-fashionedness.

Furumi-san is a comedian. OP "Cinderella

The world view of the lyrics perfectly matches the world view of the anime, which is perfect for an anime song. The evergreen sound that seems to capture the everyday life of the world of the work is also perfect.

Not only this song, but all of Cider Girl's songs are characterized by their outstanding ability to put a slightly shadowy melody and sound on top of a fresh, pop-oriented four-beat beat. Even though the pop songs are cheerful and fun, there is always a part of ennui, or a part that stays a step behind and does not become too cheerful, at the peak of the song.

To use a slightly technical term, it is the effect of the chromatic progression (in the case of Cider Girl, the descending pattern is exquisite), but such a difficult thing is not important, the song is just great!

Blue Period" ED "Replica"

The band's sound, which is clearly wider than those of other bands, gives the song a grand sense of scale.

The strong propulsive force of the indigenous rhythmic pattern involving two-beat triplets creates a groove that is completely different from that of a typical four-beat song. This rhythmic approach is common to Western dance music. It is wonderfully cool that the oriental melodies of Japanese music are fused with the Western rhythmic approach and combined into a sound with a strange floating feeling. The large piano is simple but full of strong vitality, which is cool. It's all cool.

Cardfight! Vanguard overDress Season 2" ED "Fateful...

The band "Morfonica" from "BanG Dream! I have a feeling that more cases like this will be seen in the future. The song is an orthodox anime song that is comfortable to listen to, but the violin singing is probably the best part of the song. The highly flexible arrangement, which basically enhances the melody but overtakes the main melody in some scenes and dominates the song as the main character, has an unconventional and poignant feel.

The best thing about this song is that it seems to be a simple, easy song, but in fact it contains a spirit that strongly demonstrates the band's identity.

86-ATS Six (2nd season)" ED "Alchemilla" (Japanese only)

Vocals, guitar, bass, and drums. Although only the minimum necessary instruments of the band sound, the world is swallowed up by the frighteningly huge sound image. It is a tremendous song with no bottom in sight.

The way the dynamics are applied is overwhelmingly good, and especially the tension in the quiet sections where the number of notes is taken to the extreme is something like an innate timing that cannot be mastered through practice. The skill of band playing is not only the ability to play difficult phrases without difficulty, but also how much you can sublimate the gaps created by removing notes into music. In this respect, I think it is safe to say that Regal Lily's performance skills are a cut above those of bands of their generation.

■"MUTEKING THE Dancing HERO" OP "Labyrinth"

Who could have predicted that Muteking would return in 2021?

When Muteking was revived, I felt nostalgic, but at the same time, I was worried about whether it would be safe in this day and age. I think there are some people who felt nostalgic and worried at the same time. I was one of them.

But it was a completely unnecessary worry. I couldn't believe that ORANGE RANGE's playful dance music would match Muteking's world view so well. The pop art-like video that fully expresses the charm of Muteking seems to be well accepted not only in Japan but also overseas. I think it is a bit of an exaggeration to say that Muteking was resurrected in this day and age.

■"I was kicked out of a party of heroes for not being a true companion, so I decided to live a slow life on the frontier" OP "Breathe in, breathe here, live."

The mid-tempo, calm atmosphere is wonderfully nice.

The song is classified as city pop, which has been attracting attention for a long time now, but I personally feel that this song is closer to new music rather than city pop. I think there is a whiff of folk song, or a simple, unrefined, and wild atmosphere.

It is attractive in that it is not too sophisticated, and it is what sets it apart from other music groups that advocate city pop. It may not be flashy, but the music, especially the melody, may be the best of the season.

Tesla Note" ED "Prose LIFE

Finally, if I had to choose my personal No. 1 song of this season, it would be this one.

It's already so cool.' The part of the song that seems to be based on 90's breakbeats is super cool, and while it smells of maniacal depth that you can dig as deep as you want, everything lands on pop with a balance that does not make it too maniacal. As someone who was into breakbeats and acid house for a while, this song is right in my wheelhouse.

Normally, I don't rank songs in this column, but the moment I heard this song, I thought, "Oh, it's No. 1.

That concludes my list of the 10 songs selected for this year's contest!

Did you find any of your favorite works or songs?

There are many parts where words are not enough, so we hope that you can catch our thoughts while actually listening to the songs.

We plan to appear next time during the winter 2022 anime season.

See you next year!

(Text by Hiroyuki Deguchi)