beatmania Song of the Day

"You can, dancing and, grooving all night long, let's get everybody dance now..."
Song: 20,november
Artist: DJ nagureo (Reo Nagumo)
Genre: HOUSE
First appearance: beatmania (1997)

Man, ain't that something? Some news to get! Barely two weeks into this station and we're already getting taken off the air!

I was originally saving this track for November 20th, but seeing as that's not an option, I figure now's as good a time as any to bring out the original iconic beatmania track. Those classic bright house pianos, the four on the floor beat, the synth brass, the vocal samples... this track really is a force so mighty! (Funnily enough, that particular sample doesn't actually appear in the in-game version of 20,november; only on soundtrack albums.)

It's sad to know we're coming to the end of our time together so soon, but don't you worry; I'll be spinning the racks and playing the sounds right to the end. Dance in the lights and stay cool, everyone.

"One, two, three four HIT IT!"

Song: 2 gorgeous 4U
Artist: prophet-31 (Hiroshi Takeyasu)
Genre: BREAK-BTS
First appearance: beatmania (1997)

A very curious track from the original beatmania. Some weirdly ominous synths contrast with the fast-paced breakbeats and pitched-up vocal samples. This is, in fact, a stupid dope mix. Another oddity about 2 gorgeous 4U is that it is entirely unplayable in double play mode, being replaced with a completely different song that it is, in turn, completely inaccessible in single play mode. Some other tracks in the original beatmania have different mixes between single and double play, but these are the only ones that swap songs completely. 5 keys only!

Song: Z.O.E (gamelan minimal mix)
Artist: Macky (Maki Kirioka)
Genre: GAMELAN MINIMAL
First appearance: beatmania APPEND GOTTAMIX2 ~Going Global~

Arranged by its original composer, this is a remix of "Anubis (impossible)", the final boss theme of Zone of the Enders. "Gamelan" refers to a type of music from Indonesia innovated by the Balinese, Javanese, and Sundanese peoples. "Going Global" indeed! It's an intense, high-difficulty track to play; it's fun trying to keep up with those traditional rhythms!

Song: super highway
Artist: nouvo nude
Genre: DRUM'N BASS
First appearance: beatmania 3rdMIX

A memorable track from 3rdMIX, featuring some particularly quick note runs in the latter half that make it pretty challenging for those early days of the series. Apparently in a poll held on the website of beatmania THE FINAL, super highway was the most popular track of the original beatmania series, with 266 votes. In a previous poll made to determine which songs would be in beatmania BEST HITS, it landed fourth place. So enjoy a popular hit, I guess? (It's a good song.)