Just Wild Beat Two-Mix Music !

Hi, everybody... This week we have another BEST OF compilation album by another group commonly associated with animation: Two-Mix. This duo have been putting out great techno/dance music since 1995, but in fact both members had known each other since early in the 90's and had previously worked as a group named "S Connection" and even released an album under that name. Two-Mix is composed of Nagano Shiina in lyrics and synths and Minami Takayama in vocals and composition. Their link to anime projects is not only the result of their energetic music being selected as openings of TV series, but also because Minami happens to be one of the best and most prolific seiyuus (voice actresses) of her generation...

In fact, in Japan, seiyuus are true celebrities. Almost all of them (male and female) are also singers... with a varying degree of accomplishment... :-S Singing is an important part of their studies for becoming professional seiyuus, since whenever a TV series is successful and its characters become popular, they are invariably called to contribute their vocals for "character songs". These songs are either featured in the original soundtrack of the series, or in "character song collections"; that is, CDs that assemble songs sang "in character's voice" by the seiyuus. These albums can actually move a lot of copies ! Minami (whose real name is Izumi Arai) is actually one of the few seiyuus that managed to have a music career in a mainstream group and not only as a seiyuu singing anime music on her own (à la Megumi Hayashibara or Junko Iwao, for example). Minami is fondly remembered as the voice of lovely Kiki in Hayao Miyazaki's excellent movie "Kiki's Delivery Service", as the nutcase Dilandau in "Escaflowne" or the bitchy Nabiki in "Ranma 1/2". Her versatility and talent as actress is well proven by now, and can currently be appreciated in the role of Conan Edogawa in the mega-hit "Meitantei Conan" (a series I seem always to end up talking about, for one reason or another...).

Two-Mix became famous after contributing two opening songs for the TV series Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, as well as an ending song for its continuation in OVA format. In the fandom, they were embraced as soon as the first notes of the first of their opening songs for Gundam Wing aired for the first time ^_^. There is no anime fan in their 20's that doesn't recognize the opening music and lyrics of "Just Communication" ("Just wild beat communication/ Ame ni utare nagara..."). Here you have that milestone clip, courtesy of Darkhell @ YouTube:

Great, uh ? :-) Yeah, I thought so... Their music (just like Romantic Mode's) matched perfectly the imagery of a long-lasting science fiction series such as Gundam. After releasing the singles "Just Communication", "Rhythm Emotion" and "White Reflection" for the Gundam saga, Two-Mix released their first album entitled "BPM 132" in 1995, to which 3 (three!) others would follow throughout 1996 ("BPM 143", "BPM 150 Max" & "Two ->Re(Mix)"). In 1997, their first compilation album ("BPM Best Files", the post for today) was released but they wouldn't slow down their pace: two other CDs were put out that same year, three others along 1998, two in 1999... it was rather hard to keep track of the releases of these two ! Fortunately, if you want more information on them, you can find on the net places like this that should give you a hand with a (more or less) complete discography.

Knowing that their fan base was in its majority anime fans, Two-Mix attached a bonus CDRom to the album I'm posting today. It included an animated music video to "White Reflection" that boasted animation of OVA quality featuring animated versions of the members of the duo chasing a mysterious light all across the USA. Blink and you'll miss the World Trade Center Twin Towers there. I think that, besides being a nice gesture to fans, the clip is really well-made and synchronized with both music and lyrics. Here you have it, courtesy of Darki @ YouTube:

And what is of them right now ? Well, after 2003 they have vanished a bit as a group... Minami continues her acting career; most notably, still in the role of Conan after more than 450 episodes now ! But she also has slowed down a bit on her professional life after marrying last year... to Gosho Aoyama, the creator of "Meitantei Conan" !! That was new to me, I had no idea... Good catch, Minami !
In any case, here you have the album for a sample of their early work in the mid-90's. Enjoy it in a loud volume ^_^. My favorite (besides the Gundam tracks, which are the first three) is "Diving to Paradise"...