Hinouchi Emi - Dramatiques

Dramatiques is Hinouchi Emi's first and only album, released in 2003. She's since gained recognition for her songwriting and collaborations with a variety of musicians in the urban music scene, and recently released a few singles. Having only made one album, Emi probably hasn't received the attention she truly merits as an artist, but as the composer and lyricist of the majority of songs on her album, she's quite a versatile musician. And as the album demonstrates, she's also a preeminent vocalist in her own right. Dramatiques is a perfect introduction to Emi, who's been exploring a gamut of musical styles and influences from the get-go.

The album opens with Dramatiques Intro, a 25 second piece comprising only violins and vocals. Emi sings sounds rather than words, as though performing a vocal warm-up, zipping all over the scale and demonstrating her impressive range. This all too brief intro also highlights her main attraction as a vocalist - a sense of freedom, imagination and even spontaneity, which shine through in each of her songs.

Track two, Trap, is a dark pop number that has angsty lyrics and is relationship-oriented. Unusual sound effects appear throughout: breaking glass, a sitar motif, shuffling sounds, video game noises. The succeeding track, hey boy, boasts a cheery sound with a laid back pace and again, entertaining effects, like whistles, chirping and clapping sounds.

You said, You did feat. HI-D is a slow, nostalgic R&B duet about two lovers breaking up. It opens with Hi-D singing in English, punctuated by rap vocals. Emi sings the first verse, while Hi-D takes the second, with Emi's electronic voice responding in the background. Occasionally the two vocalists sing the same melody line simultaneously, but more often their paths are separate. In general, those diverging melodies and heart wrenching lyrics make this one of the stronger and more appealing songs on the album.

The fifth track, Freak!, is a fun, carefree song with oodles of attitude, a danceable beat, and liberating feel. Not addressing any weighty subjects, the lyrics promote dancing and just having a good time.

Tracks six and seven mark points of departure from the songs presented thus far. let it be is a light, slow-paced number incorporating acoustic guitar, harp and piano. Cathartic and encouraging, the song's backing falsetto vocals simulate a chorus of angels singing. brand new love offers a melting pot of cultures and styles, opening with "yi er san," the Mandarin words for "one, two, three" (alluding to Emi's childhood in Taiwan). It continues along this startling line, introducing a flute and bossa nova feel accompanied by trumpets. Midway through, Emi's vocals in Chinese reemerge to give a brief greeting and introduction. After the second chorus, the pace speeds up and flaunts a jazzy, retro sound along with scat singing from Emi, another celebration of her outside-of-the-box style.

We return to Emi's urban pop sound with the next two songs. Johnny Astro opens Show me what you got, rapping in English as he introduces Hinouchi Emi. She briefly sings about herself, employing a higher than usual percentage of English, and the song ends abruptly after about a minute and a half. Track nine, What's your secret?, presents an exhilarating combination of Indian flavor (banghra-influenced rhythms, sitar and Indian flute) with hip hop. The focus is consistently on the rapping from M-flo and MIC BANDITZ, though the bridge includes an all too brief segment of singing from Emi. Although the track itself is engaging, the refrain (sung by Emi) is very simple and doesn't even begin to showcase Emi's true talent.

The tenth track, Crying, is a nostalgic, mid-tempo breakup song featuring guitars and numerous video game synths. While You said, you did is poignant and regretful, the voice in this number is ready to move on, and accordingly accompanied by a faster, comparatively upbeat rhythm. On the heels of that comes the buoyant, encouraging pop track World, and the slower You were my everything, which includes acoustic guitar and string instruments. The latter achieves an atypical, untethered feel through its lack of a drum beat, instead leaving the guitar to form the rhythm.

Track thirteen, Magic, brings us back to a more urban feel and a beat well-suited for choreographed dance, though the chorus directs our attention to the melody. The refrain features lovely falsetto vocals from Emi supported by soaring bowed instruments. Painful is similarly melodic and violin-oriented with a beautiful refrain in a high register. The harp play and violin riff lend the song a classical sensibility. The album ends with CRAZY KEN BAND's remix, Magic CKB Shiyou - Magic CKB tune, which is a playful jazz number that blends brand new love and Magic. Incorporating the vocals of Magic, it offers a jazzy beat and bass, trumpets and the Chinese motif "yi, er, san, si" (one, two three, four) rather than the "yi, er, san" from brand new love.

Though Emi may be well known for her collaborations with other artists, Dramatiques is a provocative release that puts Emi in the spotlight and fuses musical genres and cultural influences. It seems there's no sound she won't try, from urban styles to classical, jazz, bossa nova, scat and pop. What's conveyed is that our talented and adventurous vocalist is able to adapt to any musical atmosphere and own it. So whichever style you prefer, saddle it with catchy melodies, intriguing arrangements and Emi's boundless vocals - the result will be this album, a must-have for any Hinouchi Emi fan and a great introduction to the artist for those who have yet to hear her.