Genki Rockets I -Heavenly Star- was Genki Rockets’ debut album. It was released on July 2, 2008 and debuted at no. 15 on the charts and has sold over 14,935+ copies. Genki Rockets is classified as a virtual band, similar to the band Gorillaz.

Tracks:
1. Prologue -Earth Rise-
2. Breeze
3. Smile
4. Star Line
5. Heavenly Star
6. Intermediate -Orbit Swimming-
7. I will
8. Star Surfer
9. Never Ever
10. Fly!
11. Star Line (Japanese Ver.)
12. Breeze: Summer Afternoon Mix
13. Breeze: Star Breeze Mix

Review:
Getting things started is the transcendent Prologue -Earth Rise-. I would say that this is an intro, but it basically just features the vocals and music of Heavenly Star, just small fragments though. Although the music is slower and sounds more space oriented, with some incredible synth riffs. A flawless opening, although I wish it was a little newer.

Well I can’t say I’m surprised that Breeze is on the album. It’s grown a bit on me since I last listened to it. The lyrics seem more magical and heartfelt than before, so that’s a nice change. The atmosphere is still lovely dovy, and yet still ethereal and calm. I still love how it’s all entirely English, makes it more enjoyable. I do wish though that there was more variety in the vocals, I guess the vocoder hinders that a bit though. It’s still a great addition to the album.

I can honestly say that Smile lacks the energy and strength that made me love Genki Rockets. Sadly this song hasn’t grown on me all that much. The music just isn’t fast enough for me, I’m still waiting for that energetic burst of energy and an extremely catchy chorus. Whenever I listen to this is just seems as though it’s dragging on and on.

Finally the album develops an edgy side with Star Line. This song is probably one of their best songs to date mostly because it’s so different. There are still plenty of synth / electronic elements yet this song features electric guitars and the percussion. The rock influences do a lot for this song, there’s more variety and a little aggressiveness. And compared to the previous songs, the vocals are a lot better. There’s still a sense of the vocoder but overall it’s stunning. This song is just really energetic and exciting, just perfect really.

Just when things couldn’t get any better they do! Heavenly Star follows shortly. This was originally their debut single and you don’t have to gues why. It set the tone for the entire genre, namely synth / electronic. The music is a fusion of synth riffs, distortions, and electronic beats, the perfect combination in other words. The up-beat mood is just right for the playful lyrics and stellar arrangement. It’s by far one of their catchiest songs to date.

Separating the old and new tracks on the album is Intermediate -Orbit Swimming-. It seems to borrow some of the instrumental lines from Heavenly Star but still has a distinct flavor. The various synth lines and electric beats really go well together. There were some vocals though, just repeating for the most part. I did love how towards the middle things got a little better and how you could even hear the bubbles, best part ever.

Starting off the new tracks is the laid-back I will. Besides the long intro the song is very good. The instrumentals are a little different for the most part. It’s sounds completely different from Heavenly Star with the new instrumentals, that seem to have some acoustic and percussion backing. Don’t get me wrong still the same synth / electric style, just a different style. The lyrics are as always really sweet and lovely. Mentioning “I will sing for you” and “gaze into the sky” just various adorable lyrics.

The waves crashing on the shoreline begin Star Surfer. And I really have to stay that this is THE best new song on the entire album. There are some acoustic backings as well as various synth beats and even some percussion. And the best part is that the vocals are so crisp, the vocoder doesn’t actually hinder the song for once, you can actually understand most of it. As for the chorus, well it’s infectious. The melody could use some work but for the most part it’s fantastic, and right before the bride you cane even hear some waves. And the lyrics, magical as always, they mention passion, happy vibes, and twilight. A must listen for everyone.

Never Ever is the bands attempt at a ballad. This song is for the most part devoid of the techno backings and the random synth beats, instead the piano is the driving force. The vocals sound completely normal, no distortions whatsoever, and for once there’s some strength and emotion. The chorus was just s0 beautiful and moving, really profound with the strings. But what I wasn’t expecting was that the second verse and on is in Japanese. Overall a worthy attempt at a ballad, that hits it dead on.

Now onto another rock inspired track with Fly! This song reminds me of Star Line in the sense that there’s some newfound rock elements. But besides all of that this song is sounds really pop. It’s not nearly as aggressive as Star Line but it does having a southing quality to it. There also appears to be some strings during the chorus in addition to all the electric elements. This song is different yet it’s so catchy. It’s definitely worth your time.

And now we get to the Japanese Ver. of Star Line. The instrumentals are completely the same, except this time the lyrics are in Japanese, who would’ve thought? The lyrics are different in some ways, it’s not a direct translation, probably to make it flow better. But the chorus does still feature some English, which is nice. I for one LOVED the Japanese lyrics, it sounded so much better with the vocoder and distortions. The only problem is that it might seem a little choppy at times.

Oddly enough I like the Summer Afternoon Mix of Breeze. This remix just speeds everything up while adding in some great acoustics and various light beats. I found this remix to be very consistent and much better than the original. It’s more southing and more calming for sure.

Eww it’s the Star Breeze Mix. As heavenly as that name sounds it turns out the remix isn’t all that great. It’s just an instrumental for the most part with the occasional vocals. The instrumental sounds great but I want a song, not a some dance track. Somewhat of a letdown and a sad way to close the album.

Overall Review: Genki Rockets I -Heavenly Star- was surreal synth paradise! This has got to be one of the most refreshing as well as astounding debut albums. Then again the style and genre is so different that it’s no surprise. The singles were just so energetic and memorable, not to mention incredible. And the tracks on this album were really high quality, it’s obvious they’re album only tracks but a few could have been singles easily. I loved the fact that there was some variety even though the overall sound is the same. The vocals could have been less choppy at times but overall I was pleased with them. For any fan of Ami or even Sowelu now I suggest you give this band a listen, they’re worth your time.

Final Grade: 96A

Star Line / Smile was Genki Rockets’ 2nd single. It was released on June 11, 2008. This was the second and final single in the Genki Rockets I -Heavenly Star- Era.

Tracks:
1. Star Line
2. Smile
3. Star Line -Stratos Mix-
4. Smile -Chemistry Of Sound Mix-
5. Star Line -Blue Line Mix-

Review:
Genki Rockets is a truly amazing group, despite being virtual etc. They keep coming out with high quality music, just like Star Line. Compared to their usual synth pop sound, Star Line is remarkably different. For one, the music isn’t synth pop, it’s more of an electric rock, electric guitar riffs and all. Obviously there’s still a hint of synth pop, but it’s minor and most of the song is rock. Like all of their songs, it’s performed entirely in English, and good English at that. There are some grammar problems, but really minor, the important thing is that it sounds good. The lyrics mention “cinematic lights, systematic time, and Star Line.” It’s pretty up-beat as far as rock music goes, and it’s just as catchy and as memorable as their previous single. Maybe it’s because the lyrics are in English, or that the melody is memorable, or maybe it’s just the vocals, either way this song is catchy.

Well the band has taken a step back with Smile. Perhaps quality wise, but they definitely return to their synth pop roots, except that this song is more of a synth ballad. There are pletty of distortions, and in this song you can clearly hear at least two sets of vocals. The piano chords and all the synth music sounded so magical and a little romantic, the lyrics didn’t hurt with the mood either. And again all of the lyrics were in English. I think this is a nice song, it’s just not all that awing, don’t get too excited.

On to the remixes. The first is the Stratos Mix of Star Line. At almost six minutes, this remix makes a name for itself, which isn’t really good. The music is way to techno / house oriented. The focus is on the beats and music and the layering of the vocals was cool and annoying at the same time. If there were more vocals it’d be better, but this remix is just too much of a change. There are no rock elements, and all that’s left are the layered vocals and light synth / house music.

At first the Chemistry Of Sound Mix of Smile sounds nice, but give it a minute. For about 30 seconds it sounds good, then it goes downhill from there. After that the music becomes more ambient synth & techno, which isn’t good in this case. The vocals are too choppy, and sporadic for my taste. The strings sounded great, but that was it.

All I have to say is that the Blue Line Mix of Star Line is just as bad as all those other remixes. It’s way to centered on the beats and music, and the music isn’t even all that good, it’s mostly house and techno. Again the main problem was the vocals, the majority of the song was music, with the occasional vocals, and most of the time they weren’t all that loud, they were drowned out by the music.

Overall Review: Star Line / Smile was synth pop divergence! Genki Rockets has done it again, and this time they’ve partially abandoned that synth pop sound. Star Line was rock passion, and very up-beat too. It’s a lot better than the second title track Smile. Smile is way too innocent and synth based in my opinion. I would’ve been better if they kept with the rock elements like in Star Line, but for now it’s ok. The remixes like last time were just horrible, but I guess some people find them appealing. A fascinating and starry way to end the Genki Rockets I -Heavenly Star- Era.

Final Grade: 92B

Heavenly Star / Breeze was Genki Rockets’ debut single. It was released on July 4, 2007. The first title track was used in the Wii game No More Heroes.

Tracks:
1. Heavenly Star
2. Breeze
3. Heavenly Star – Glorious Remix
4. Heavenly Star – Sunrise Remix
5. Heavenly Star – Count Down Remix
6. Heavenly Star – Space Walk Remix
7. Heavenly Star – Aurora Remix
8. Heavenly Star – Floating Remix
9. Heavenly Star – Instrumental

Review:
Well before I get too much into Heavenly Star I have to say right away that I have a lot to say about this song. The first thing that hooked me was the distorted vocals and smooth electronic sound, that and the up-beat lyrics which were in English. The vocals, which were distorted during the verses, were just amazing, the vocoder is just awesome, and the fact that the lyrics rhymed didn’t hurt either. The melody is insanely up-beat and infectious even though the song is pretty normal as far as speed goes. The lyrics were really refreshing as they were in English, which is always as plus as I can understand it without translations, and that they were so up-beat and optimistic. The chorus was extremely catchy and memorable, and the normal vocals were excellent, no vocoder at all.

Breeze utilizes some of the synth / electronic elements as the previous song, but it’s more vocoder friendly. The beats aren’t as energetic but the song itself is more peaceful and angelic in a sense. The vocals for the most part are more distorted, but there are some non-distorted parts. Anyway the song sounds really great as far as music goes, it flows very well and there’s even a hint of the acoustic guitar. Again the lyrics are all in English, so that makes it easier to understand, and again the lyrics are pretty sweet and romantic-like.

The Remixes

The Glorious Remix is basically just a dance remix, with vocals only in a few select spots.
Things get sped up a lot with the Sunrise Remix. It’s over a whopping 7 minutes. It’s more of a dance / trance song, that’s really good for hardcore fans, for me it’s mediocre and annoying.
The longest is the Count Down Remix which is over 9 minutes. Despite being so long it does feature some vocals which is one of the only things going for it. The music is lighter as far as beats go so it’s not all bad, just not too memorable.
The Space Walk Remix is a little funky when it comes to music. It’s another dance track and it just repeats the same lines over and over for the most part, it’s a little too repetitive for me.
One of the better remixes is the Aurora Remix. It features most of the vocals along with some classical touches like the strings and the piano. The mid-tempo beats are great, and the dance music is amazing.
The final remix is the Floating Remix. The opening is good, but after that the song goes downhill. There are hardly any vocals and from there it’s just beeps and the synth, which gets annoying after a while.

Overall Review: Heavenly Star / Breeze was refreshing synth / electronic debut. I can’t praise this single enough for the two title tracks. They’re so amazing and new, not really but you get the idea, and synth. The vocoder played a big part in both songs and just gave me a whole new appreciation for it. The music was pretty unified as far as sound as theme goes so that was nice. The remixes could have been better but it could have been worse. It’s still a stellar debut!

Final Grade: 94A-

After some interesting turn of events I stumbled upon the amazing band Genki Rockets. Genki Rockets as it turns out is a virtual band, similar to Gorillaz. The face of the band is a fictional 18 year old girl named Lumi, who was born on September 11, 2037 and has never been to earth.The band’s lead singers are Rachel Rhodes, whom Lumi is based on, and Nami Miyahara. And the vocals are supposedly a mixture of the two along with a vocoder. Anyway, the band debuted back in 2006 with the song Heavenly Star, which eventually was commissioned into a single. And apparently they won Best New Artist(Electronic)Award in 2007 by iTunes.