A Review of the First ALYS Album: Éveil

Recently, I was able to obtain a copy of the first ALYS album, titled “Éveil“. While ALYS is slated to be released as a CeVIO, she is currently being used in the UTAU interface with an unknown engine.

Nonetheless, the Franco-Japanese singer is absolutely phenomenal and “Éveil” is a showcase of the work put into her so far. Tracks include songs we’ve all heard such as her debut “Dans mon Monde” as well as album exclusives including a cover of “Neutrino” and the original song “Enfant du Chaos“.

The album contains 11 songs featuring the singer and one instrumental track that serves as an atmospheric opening to “Enfant du Chaos”.

Overall, the album itself can be considered a collection of demo songs for ALYS. Each song uses ALYS’s voice in a completely different way and the assortment of songs manages to highlight just how versatile ALYS is.  From her powerful yet feminine vocals in “Avenir” and “Dans mon monde”” to her soft voice in “Pr☆messe“, one can tell she’s capable of singing in many different styles.

Shards“, “Neutrino”, and “Sous cette pluie” further prove this by showcasing completely different tuning compared to the other songs.

The album also showcases ALYS’s Japanese bank with “Hajime Ni”, the aforementioned “Neutrino”, “SAKUYA” and the Japanese version of “Dans mon monde” (“In My World“)

Finally, there’s the last track: an 8-bit version of “Avenir”. It sounds like something right out of a video game and is a great way to end the CD on a light note.

Key Chain Bonus

ALYSKeychainShould the amazing collection of songs not convince you, there is a free key chain included with the purchase. This adorable bonus features a picture of ALYS eating a CD and is double sided.

One thing to note (that I completely didn’t notice at first) is that the key chain comes with a VERY strong plastic film on each side for protection. This film had several deep scratches on it when the key chain arrived and only after a good day did I realize there was film covering it.

Both sides of the key chain are covered in a rather thick plastic that appears to be rather sturdy. Obviously one shouldn’t go trying to cut or break it, though. But for normal wear and tear, I would say it should hold up very well, though I have yet to test it with actual keys.

This key chain also marks the first time Saphirya, ALYS’s official artist, has made a chibi drawing of ALYS for a hanging product. The other two ALYS straps available for purchase use illustrations by Noriko Hayashi, the illustrator of MAIKA.

Where to Buy

The first ALYS album is available through VoxWave’s shop for 22,00 € (about $24 USD). They do ship internationally at a rather reasonable rate.

And while you’re there, you can pick up quite a bit of other ALYS merchandise as well.

About Hoshi

She's a huge VOCALOID fan, a figure collector, and an all around nerd. Hoshi's been in the VOCALOID fandom since 2008 and has been a hardcore VOCALOID fan since 2013.