A few days ago, EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS CODE SPEED アニメトランス BEST エクスタシー Second Season was released by EXIT TUNES under the QUAKE HOLDINGS label. I've always loved EXIT TRANCE and I especially love the エクスタシー (Ecstasy) series they do, which are OPs, EDs and other music from Eroge/Bishoujo Games.



Tracklist

1. 深愛 (White Album)
2. 夢想歌 (Utawaremono)
3. YOU (Shuffle)
4. Hello (ToHeart2)
5. SHINING STARS BLESS☆ (Nanatsuiro Drops)
6. 前奏曲(プレリュード)-We are not alone- (Crescent Love)
7. マジカルちょーだいっ (Magical Canan)
8. 大好きだよ(Into Your Heart) (ToHeart - Remember my Memories)
9. プラスチックスマイル (Canvas2)
10. Fly (Comic Party Revolution)
11. トモシビ (ToHeart2)
12. amulet (Hani Hani: Operation Sanctuary)
13. 舞い落ちる雪のように (White Album)
14. AGAIN (Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru)
15. 素直になれない (Tsuyokiss: Cool x Sweet)
16. ぽぽたん畑でつかまえて (Popotan)
17. 跪くまで5秒だけ! (They are my noble masters)
18. LOVE POWER (Otome wa boku ni koi shiteru)
19. 片翼のイカロス (H2O - Footprints in the Sand)
20. きらめく涙は星に (Fate/Stay Night)

ToHeart and Otome wa boku ni koi shiteru sure got alot of attention this time around, but they were both great and both were very good in the last album, so I'm not complaining. I'm glad to see Nanatsuiro Drops get some attention as I'm currently watching it right now and absolutely love it. I can't say that I feel a bit ripped off in the sense that YOU, 片翼のイカロス and きらめく涙は星に were all on other EXIT TRANCE albums, and are virtually remixed the same too. But they're still welcome as far as I'm concerned, seeing as EXIT TRANCE アニメ 4 and 5 were some of my favorite CDs released under EXIT TUNES.

The whole thing was a joy listen to the whole way through, on the first BEST エクスタシー CD, things got a little dry and uninteresting for a phase around tracks 13-17 but picked up toward the end. Here however, there was none of that, and kept interest throughout.

The typical EXIT TRANCE familiar faces are there too; MAKI, MK, Icon, Ma15, DJ Sa9, Acid=Stone Valley, Starving Trancer, B.U.S etc. and of course Ryu* giving parts of the album a bouncy J-core feel. If you've ever listened to any EXIT TRANCE album, you're bound to notice at least one of these names.

One thing I've noticed with the EXIT TRANCE series is that albums with alot of diversity (Like アニメ 4) tend to be poorly mixed, but albums with not as much variety in sound are very well mixed, but I think that cannot be helped. However, I think that エクスタシー Second Season has done a really good job of keeping the album interesting and being well mixed too. However I am not a DJ so I can't really say much.

Overall, the album is more of a solid, interesting listen than the previous CD, but lacks the number of memorable tracks. Next, lookout for my review of EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS SPEED アニメトランス BEST THE MOVIE. The first in the series of EXIT TRANCE CDs dedicated to themes from Anime MOVIES. Then look out for EXIT TRANCE PRESENTS SPEED アニメトランス 7, the 7th installment of the anime series. Due on the 1st of July.

Favorite tracks (Excluding the repeated 3): SHINING STARS BLESS☆, マジカルちょーだいっ, 大好きだよ(Into Your Heart)

Buy the album here