When Joe started playing the piano around 2:40 into the video, I went “HOMG MAESTRO!” The children’s choir added all the right notes, and I just love how this arrangement manages to be wistful yet playful and grand, all in the same piece. Truly beautiful. And the Totoro theme is just so iconic, it makes you want to clap along with the audience and burst into rapturous cheers!

The first time I browsed through HearJapan, I searched for “Studio Ghibli” on a whim – and I was really surprised by the number of cover albums that came up, for just about any instrument and genre you could think of! From jazz to rock, “speed” piano to marimba – there’s even an album titled Ghibli Computer which consists of “a collection of Studio Ghibli covers completely rewritten with old school computer sounds accompanied with a bouncing beat.” Amazing!

I’m kind of a traditionalist myself, so my favorite album from the bunch was Azumi Inoue’s Ghibli Meikyoku Selection~Dear Ghibli. I liked how the arrangements featured a full orchestra and piano ensemble, not to mention the fact that Azumi Inoue was the original singer of Ghibli classics like “Kimi o Nosete“, “Sanpo“, and “Tonari no Totoro“; her voice is wonderfully soothing and also quintessentially Ghibli at the same time. So I was happy to shell out a bit to expand my music collection AND contribute to relief efforts in Japan at the same time! Win-win if there ever was one.

It’s hard to believe that almost a year has gone by since his passing, but it’s comforting to know that Nujabes’ music will continue to speak to listeners around the world for years to come.

Some of my favorite Nujabes tracks include Reflection Eternal, Folklore, and Windspeaks, but my current favorite is Luv (Sic) Part 3. The lyrics are especially inspirational, and fitting as a memorial tribute to Nujabes as well.

Nujabes – Luv (Sic) Part 3 feat. Shing02

It’s funny how the music put times in perspective
Add a soundtrack to your life and perfect it
Whenever you are feeling blue keep walking and we can get far
Wherever you are

Like a movie that you can’t predict
Like a book that you can’t resist
I sing along a song that’s oh so sensual
bring along a sip to make it all so sexual
verbally that is, making love to the music means vibing to the beat at night
with the whole city fast asleep, out cold
true words seem to rise to the lips, take hold
of a poet in me, most powerfully
I feel free when the world doesn’t owe it to me
It’s so hard to find a gig that lives up to the billing,
trying to find a reason to work, god willing
I admit, my thinking is wishful
like a star upon a child gazing up to the ceiling
how far do we have to stretch the truth
to fit the lifestyles borrowed and overdue
we can take it all back to the register
and start all over from the canister
let’s break it all down into pieces of bright
moments that pass by like a meteorite
throw on your favorite reel that’s good to go
on the analog player watch the people glow
sit back to the breeze let the memories flow
comedy tragedy all the highs and lows…

- From songmeanings.net

I actually have no idea why this cover was tagged as a NANA scan, because as far as I can tell none of mink’s songs were ever used for the NANA series – not to say mink couldn’t have been inspired by Ai Yazawa’s work, of course. I’m also not sure who illustrated these album covers, but I suspect that mink herself might be the actual designer. In any case, these cover illustrations are really quite beautiful. I love the stark simplicity, the movement of the lines, and the abundant negative space.

I’ve bookmarked these guys for a while now, ever since I read this glowing Japanator recommendation for “Super Speed.” I enjoyed that single so much that I dug up another one of their singles, “Traveling,” which was also full of upbeat-melodic-electro-pop goodness. Since MASTERLINK has just released their debut album (after 8 years as an indie group!), I figured a quick plug to this wonderful trio would be timely – they’re definitely worth checking out!

From Pogo’s Last.fm page:

Pogo is the pseudonym for the emerging 21-year old electronic music artist Nick Bertke in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his work recording small sounds from single films or scenes, and sequencing them to form new pieces of music. Pogo’s music and videos have attracted a large and devoted following that continues to grow every day.

His most notable track, Alice, a composition of sounds from the Disney film ‘Alice In Wonderland’, was received with much success gaining 4 million views on YouTube as of December 2009. Pogo has since produced tracks using films like ‘Up’, ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘The Sword In The Stone’, ‘Hook’, ‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’, and ‘Toy Story’.

Many of Pogo’s catchy tracks are also available for free download from his site, so definitely swing by for a listen and/or download!

Our vision and believe is in the power of a community to create a positive movement to show the beauty of our planet… By creating digital art, reminding us of the beauty of nature everyday.

Apart from a thorough perusal of Gaia 10′s gorgeous gallery, I’d also recommend checking out the Places We Visit While Listening To You music album, which is filled with soothing tunes and available for free download. Seriously, what’s not to love here?! Go check out Gaia 10 NOW, if you haven’t already!

The theme song for FFXIII is really nice though, even though I did raise an eyebrow when I saw that it was by Leona Lewis – not a name I would’ve ever associated with Final Fantasy, and also I had pegged her for a one-hit (“Bleeding Love“) wonder. But everyone who managed to last through the game seems to agree that this song fits. So YAY FOR PRETTY MUSIC, and I’m glad that Leona came out with another good song that I can now add to my YouTube playlist \o/