Ongaku Cafe (The 2000s): DRM – DRM (June 2007)

I did enjoy what I heard on the DRM mini-album and I’ll give the girls the benefit of the doubt because of the transition from dream but they need that winning track to show that DRM is a group that has the synergy and can continue to build their fanbase.

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ARTIST: DRM

ALBUM: DRM

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-23195/B

DURATION: 30:09

RELEASE DATE: June 27, 2007

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ALBUM TRACKS:

1. LEO
2. Amai Dokuyaku
3. MONA LISA Overdrive
4. Why fall in love?
5. Kimi no Kaeru Basho
6. Let’s Reboot
7. Katagoshi no Fuukei

DVD TRACKS: (Region 2, 4:3, Duration: 8 minutes)

1. Amai Dokuyaku
2. LEO (dream live 2007 Spring at Landmark Hall)

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Reviewed back in June 2007

The seven member female idol group has grown up. dream has become DRM and their first mini-album since 2006 “Boy meets Girl ~A little More~” in 2006.

Busy with acting roles, improving their choreography and vocals (as noticed with their “dream party 2006 X’Mas” DVD), busy competing in idol soccer competitions and busy with the idol group extravaganza known as Girl’s Box, the girl’s of dream have decided to shed their idol girl look and follow a more mature direction.

Now what does that mean exactly?

Well, with the other large female groups like Morning Musume and AKB48 sporting young ages, and avex female groups growing in numbers with HINOI Team and Be For U focusing on the electronic sound that dream was known for in its early inception, it was time for the girl’s to do something different and I figured perhaps this was the plan for dream and while we have seen DVD releases, compilation albums and best hit collections, we really haven’t seen anything released since 2005 (Boy meets Girl) for the group musically.

Before fans get sad about the dream growing up, take that lightly (for now) because I will be reviewing Kingyo, a group that consists of DRM’s Hasebe Yu, Kayo Aiko and Nagasawa Nao for “LOVER’S HIGH”, theme song for “Girl’s Box the Movie” and which tells me that the connection to the idol scene through Girl’s Box is still there and I would imagine that the TEAM dream soccer team will still continue.

With the release of “DRM”, the girls do go through musical changes and if one thing that I did notice is less electronic synth pop and a more mature sound with quite a bit of brass instruments used in their music and also dabble with other types of music on this album. In fact, the music direction leads me to believe that we may see a backing band in future concert performances.

“LEO” and “Amai Dokuyaku” is probably a good example of the new sound of the group which focuses more on vocals and music and less idol cuteness.

“MONA LISA Overdrive” features the group singing rock n’ roll and you get the beautiful love ballad with “Kimi no Kaeru Basho”.

Actually “Kimi no Kaeru Basho” is a very beautiful ballad that I enjoyed but very surprising to me to hear how mature this track is compared to past slow jams from the group. Actually, this song was probably when everything started to kick in that this was no longer the dream I have listened to since their debut, this is a new group with the girls grown up and it was time to get used to their new music.

DVD:

The DVD includes the music video for “Amai Dokuyaku”, which is the main song of the mini-album showcasing the new group in a more mature music video. Where the past music videos showcase the cuteness of the members in a typical idol way, this music video features the group singing in a darkness, dressed up in black, sad and crying. I think the scene where one of the members is sad to see right next to her bed is no one but rose petals.

The other video included is a live performance of “LEO” at Landmark Hall showcasing the group’s choreography and vocals but also showing that original founding dream members Tachibana Kana and Hasebe Yu are still the main vocalists of the group.

CD INSERT:

Ahh, a mini album with no CD typical insert but three postcards explaining the dream conversion to DRM. Behind those three cards are the credits you would see on an insert . A sticker comes with the mini-album showing off the groups latest logo and a fold out lyrics sheet featuring a photo of one of the members of the group.

JUDGEMENT:

I find it interesting that this type of change is something that I’ve seen before and it was around the same time over a decade ago and that was with the idol group SMAP who were known for their ultra pop boy band songs and then all of a sudden with their seventh album, changed direction to sound more mature, focus on vocals and incorporate a sound which would utilize a lot of brass instruments but also to dabble with a little rock and hip hop as well. This is the same direction that DRM seems to be going during the time of their seventh anniversary.

And I would imagine that similar to SMAP, the fans were slow with the transition but the group were able to establish themselves quickly and actually have surpassed the music they were known for during their idol years. Love it or hate it, the same with DRM’s music. As they go through the next stages of their career from idol girl group to a group trying to evolve from that.

I really enjoy dream’s music for the past seven years but with so many female idol groups sprouting, dream can’t be another group featuring a large group belting out kawaii idol pop music, especially since these young women aren’t in their low teens any more.

Now by saying that, I like the direction that DRM is going but at the same time, I don’t find that single track that I can claim a winning hit track. “Amai Dokuyaku” is a good track but not spectacular. There was really no track that makes me want to emphatically be excited and stoked about. Although the slow song “Kimi no Kaeru Basho” definitely showed some promise but at the end of the day, the girls are still a dance group and there was no dance number on the mini-album that struck me as exciting.

But I will say that I did enjoy what I heard on the mini-album and I’ll give the girls the benefit of the doubt because of the transition but they need that winning track to show that DRM is a group that has the synergy and can continue to build their fanbase.

I look forward to the new DRM but I’m hoping to hear that hit song in the near future.

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