Music Review: Kagrra, / うたかた (Utakata)

1. うたかた (Utakata) [listen] [watch]
2. 「叫び」 (Sakebi) [watch]
3. あの坂を登れば (Ano Saka wo Noboreba)

CDJapan (Limited A / Limited B / Normal) / YesAsia (Limited A / Limited B / Normal)

1. うたかた / Oh, wow. I will say this right now, this is Kagrra,'s best song ever. If I ever have to introduce a potential new fan to Kagrra, and am only allowed one song, Utakata will be the one I pick. I'm convinced that if this track alone can't move you, nothing else Kagrra, produces ever will, for Utakata is the penultimate representation of the band's neo japanesque repertoire. This stunning piece of work entrances and delights the ears and enraptures the heart. It touches that deepest part of my soul and makes me weep at the song's sheer beauty. Really, it's rare for a song to move me to tears like this. Maybe this is what paradise is like. Izumi had written in his diary entry a while ago that this song embodies the beauty, tradition, mystery, and exoticism of Japan from foreigners' eyes. Is Japan paradise? ♥♥♥

2. 「叫び」 / 3. あの坂を登れば / I feel bad lumping the rest of the tracks together. But after Utakata, I don't think I can enjoy any other song to the same degree for a while (I must be bewitched!). Everything else pales and seems unimportant in comparison. If I hadn't been exposed to Utakata, I would still have ranked these two tracks near, if not at the top of my all time favorites list. These are marvelous, solid works in their own right. They're classic Kagrra, songs characterized by pleasing melody, soothing vocals, and that touch of sparkle. Ano Saka wo Noboreba (track 3) is a lighthearted and delightful piece that brightens any day, while Sakebi (track 2) is heavier, rockier, but still upbeat and cheerful. Great, great songs, both of them. ♥

For the first time ever, I'm seriously considering buying all 3 versions of a single. Even if I end up paying almost $50 for only 3 songs and 2 PVs, this really seems worth it. Oh, beloved Kagrra,, look what you make me do.

Rating: Fantastic+

Need Utakata, NOW!

Aw, man! Kagrra,'s latest single, Utakata, is out at this point. I feel all antsy sitting here because I don't have it yet.

Why do I look forward to this particular single so much?

One. Kagrra,'s last release, the Chiaki no Tsuki single, was allllllll the way back in February of this year. The band hasn't produced any new songs for almost 11 freaking months!

Two. I'm convinced that this shall be my favorite Kagrra, single ever after listening to the previews at the official site. Somehow, that mere 30 seconds of Utakata had managed to crush me with emotions. The other 2 tracks are really good, too. I think I will seriously weep once I hear the full versions.

"Why are you crying?"

*sniffle* "I can't help it, this song is too beautiful it moved me to tears."

I'm glad that a full-length album will follow soon after this single release. The world needs more Kagrra,. Or at least, my world needs their music, lots and lots of it.

Bandscore: ガゼット (the GazettE) / REGRET / Filth in the beauty

I'm on a roll with magazines and Gazette today, aren't I?

A wonderful moderator of the gazette_daily LJ community posted up Gazette's REGRET and Filth in the beauty bandscores that were featured in the "glare" magazine. I'm reposting the scans here for any musicians out there who're interested (and don't have a LJ account or simply don't want to join a community).

REGRET bandscore zip: www.megaupload.com/?d=SEYIH07H

Filth in the beauty bandscore zip: www.megaupload.com/?d=QGVVGH2O

Enjoy. I might actually try out the vocals melody on my violin when I feel like it. It's pretty simple stuff. And if the megaupload links ever expire, please don't ask me to reupload the files because by then, they most likely won't be on my computer anymore.

And by the way, the Gazette photos featured in this magazine are awesome in that they also include beautiful closeups of the band's instruments (I spent a long time staring at Aoi's ESP Proto-type model). Definitely go take a look.

Misspellings and Another Money Grubbing Scheme

My copy of SHOXX bis vol. 11 arrived today. As I flipped through the pages, one thing, one glaring thing, jumped out at me.

God damn it, the word "interview" is misspelled on the heading of every single Gazette member interview page.

The "inrterview" heading is large and extremely conspicuous. I can't believe it's spelled wrong 5 times (one for every member). The funny thing is: in the subheading, the spelling is actually correct. Guess no one at SHOXX noticed the difference.

As I gazed at the 3 double-sided posters that came with the magazine (one Gazette member on one side of a poster, plus a group shot), I realized one thing: this "generous" inclusion of 3 posters is actually another marketing scheme to cheat more money out of fans. You see, if you buy only one copy of the magazine, there's no way to hang the posters so that all 5 Gazette members are shown. I'm peeved that Aoi and Uruha are on the front and back of the same poster, so I had to choose between either displaying Aoi or Uruha on my wall (Aoi won, since he's my favorite of the 2 guitarists). The only solution to this type of dilemma is to buy 2 copies of the magazine. And there lies the genius.

This just confirms that yes, the visual kei industry is a pack of manipulative, money sucking jackals.

PV Review: Dir en grey / Agitated Screams of Maggots

I fucking hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate! THIS! P! V!!!!

If you thought the single's CD cover was bad, this PV is many times worse. It was like some alien horror movie and just as disgustingly appalling. Two maggot denizens of a dead fish breed like the abominable maggots they are and take over a family. It's got plenty of gore, exploding flesh, and Kyo's screams don't help matters a bit. Oh yes, did you know a line of the lyrics says, "I'll rape your daughter on your grave"?

I'm not even going to embed the YouTube video here. This PV should be stamped out and buried in the deepest recess of earth and never see daylight again. I don't even give a damn about the symbolism contained. This PV is sick, sick, SICK!

Though I do applaud this PV for evoking such a violently repulsed response in me. If this had been Dir en grey's intention, it worked, congrats.

Rating: Awful--

News: Kagrra, / Untitled New Album [2007.02.14]

Kagrra, will release their 3rd major album on Valentine's Day next year.

Artist: Kagrra,
Release: untitled new album
Label: PS Company / Columbia Music Entertainment
Date: 2007.02.14

Limited Edition
CD + DVD
Catalog Number: COZA-249～250
Price: 3,800 yen (tax in)

Normal Edition
CD
Catalog Number: COCP-34117
Price: 3,150 yen (tax in)

Supposedly, the album will only have 9 tracks. Kagrra,'s previous album releases contained 10 to 12 tracks. 9 tracks is almost a mini-album, not a full-length album. I really hope they add more tracks since the details haven't been finalized yet.

News credit to the Kagrra, LJ community.

Gazette on HEY!HEY!HEY! Music Champ

November 13 came and went. The footage of Gazette on HEY!x3 finally surfaced.

There must have been some Gazette fangirls in the audience. Uruha definitely got the loudest cheer when he introduced himself. Damn him for being so pretty and getting all the fangirls' attention.

Hamada Masatoshi (the host with the checkered shirt) kept on messing with Reita. When asking the individual band members questions, he skipped Reita twice. To everyone's amusement, Reita jumped out of his seat to get Hamada's attention every time.

Uruha: "Blah, blah, blah."

Hamada: "All right, moving on..."

Reita jumps up and pokes Hamada.

*laughter in the studio*

Reita actually looked a bit upset when he got skipped over. Poor thing. :D

Unrelated: RURUTIA's Chorion album is so beautiful. Get it!

News: ガゼット (the GazettE) / Hyena [2007.02.07]

Gazette will delight us with another single release early next year. What surprises will they have in store for us?

Artist: ガゼット (Gazette)
Release: Hyena
Label: PS Company
Date: 2007.02.07

Optical Impression
2 tracks + DVD
1.Hyena
2.千鶴
Catalog Number: KICM-91192
Price: 1,680 yen (tax in)

Auditory Impression
3 tracks
1.Hyena
2.千鶴
3.Defective Tragedy
Catalog Number: KICM-1192
Price: 1,260 yen (tax in)

Look forward to it!

Die's Guitar Pick

My latest Dir en grey acquisition is a necklace made from an ESP Die guitar pick.

I love Die's pick design. It's so uniquely oriental and the color matches half of my wardrobe. This necklace is now one of my favorite piece of jewelry/music memorabilia. :D

/end of an extremely girly post (I'm so pleased by how well the necklace matches my outfits that I can't resist)

News: purple SKY on MUCC DVD & Otakon 2006 Footages

purple SKY Appears in MUCC's New DVD Footage

Who is that awkward, dashing, Japanese speaking lad with dark hair interviewing MUCC on the Bonus DVD that comes with the limited edition of their new single HORIZONT?

Why it's purple SKY magazine's very own boo. Yes, that's me dredging a print-worthy answer from a still groggy Miya. [...]

from purple SKY Livejournal

Hey, MUCC actually put footage of the purple SKY interview on the DVD of their single release. This is really nice advertising for purple SKY. Think the magazine will get a sales/subscription boost from this?

While searching for Youtube footage of this portion of the DVD (unfortunately, nothing came up), I stumbled upon the trailer for the upcoming Otakon 2006 documentary, presented by Tainted Reality.

Oh, and also a YOSHIKI interview from the same event.

Oh YOSHIKI, your shirt makes you blend right into the background wall. And I wish you'd take off your shades. Everyone at the convention knows who you are, shades or no. I just don't buy into the whole "rock stars must wear shades to maintain an air of mystery and coolness" deal. Despite his "Japanese Rock Legend/God" status, YOSHIKI seriously doesn't project that rock star persona here anyway. He really does seem like the "aww, shucks" type of guy in the video (to borrow from purple SKY's description of him).

I had such a bad urge to throw something at the screen because he said "I don't know", shrugged, and played with his hair/collar so often. He had a very defensive posture, with his arms crossed over his chest, as if he felt uncomfortable and was trying to distance himself from the audience. I thought he'd have plenty of practice giving interviews. Stop fidgeting and give us straight answers, dammit!

News: Gazette to Appear on HEY!x3 Music Champ

Imagine my delight when I saw the following message in my e-mail inbox this morning:

the GazettEフジテレビ「HEY!HEY!HEY!」

“RANK IN”コーナートークゲスト出演決定！
11/13（月）20：00-20：54
http://www.fujitv.co.jp/HEY/

Wohoo! Gazette will make their appearance in HEY!HEY!HEY! Music Champ TV show as the "RANK IN" Corner Talk Guests on November 13. Tune in if you can.

First Nightmare, now Gazette, it's awesome to see my favorite J-Rock bands getting recognition on major national music shows. I'll be on the lookout for footage of this airing.

Reconciliation with Rentrer en Soi

I think I've finally come to terms with the drastic musical style change Rentrer en Soi had undergone. Ever since hearing their latest album, RENTRER EN SOI, I had been so devastated by the 180 degree shift in their music that for a while, I pretended that album didn't exist.

I had greatly favored Rentrer en Soi because their music were primarily beautiful, melodic ballad-style songs with tender, sweet vocals. I had loved every single album releases up to 2006. Songs like セフィロト (Sephirot) had given me so much pleasure.

Then, Rentrer en Soi's second full-length album, titled simply RENTRER EN SOI, came along in 2006 and shattered any preconception I had of the band. Too many of the songs on the album are loud, harsh, and angry (ie: DEAD believe ME). Satsuki screamed so much that it completely unsettled me. In fact, his singing had changed. It reminded me of Kyo of Dir en grey's style many times. What the heck happened to the gentle, angelic Satsuki I had known? I was so disappointed with this change that I gave up the band for a while.

But, I couldn't abandon Rentrer en Soi for long. Recently, I decided to go back to the RENTRER EN SOI album and listen with an open mind this time. I promised myself that I wouldn't compare the album with the band's previous works and simply judge the songs by their own merits. Surprisingly, and maybe not too surprisingly, I found myself actually enjoying the tracks. I realized that, despite the drastic style shift, Rentrer en Soi's music remained top-notch. It wasn't the new music that I hated, but the change itself.

Now, I'm glad that I gave the band another chance and got over my prejudices. Rentrer en Soi's music has returned to my music player and is now happily spinning away.

Music Review: ガゼット(the GazettE) / Filth in the beauty

1. Filth in the beauty [watch]
2. Rich Excrement
3. Crucify Sorrow

CDJapan (Optical / Auditory) / HMV (Optical / Auditory) / YesAsia (Optical / Auditory)

1. Filth in the beauty / I've already goshed over this song so much back when the PV first came out that now I'm at a loss as to what to say. Yes, the brilliant fusion of R&B and hard rock kicks ass from Thailand and back (actually, it's probably from Japan and back). The female vocal enhances the song and gives it that extra "omph". Ruki sings in English throughout most of the track, but of course, no one can even tell what he's saying. :D Nevertheless, Filth in the beauty rocks hard and has become one of my favorite Gazette songs of all time. (Someone had suggested that this song is about incest between father and daughter. All I can say to that is: f**king hell!) ♥

2. Rich Excrement / I've already made fun of the song title in a previous post, so let's just skip that part. A street-punk rock song in which Ruki raps through the entire track, Rich Excrement reminds me of previous works like Maximum impulse and Maggots. The track features the same type of call-and-response found in Gazette power songs: Ruki growls out lyrics and the rest of the band roars back in answer. This is a phenomenonal headbanger and will be another hit live song, I can already see it.

3. Crucify Sorrow / I really looked forward to hearing this song in full after listening to the preview. I'm glad to say, it doesn't disappoint. This track is designed to showcase Ruki's rich, dynamic voice. Ruki finally sings instead of screaming and yelling into his microphone and I applaud. For some reason, the bridge section tends to be my favorite part when it comes to Gazette, and this is another one of those songs. Ruki sounds simply exceptional. ♥

Rating: Fantastic

Nightmare on HEY!HEY!HEY! Music Champ

I'm so pleased that Nightmare was the guest on the October 30 HEY!HEY!HEY! Music Champ. They're finally getting recognition on a major music show. It's funny how having their songs featured as the opening and ending themes of the massively popular anime/manga DEATH NOTE has given them such a career boost, even though those two songs aren't even their best works.

Hitsugi completely stole the spotlight with his weirdness eccentricity. I'm surprised how subdued Yomi was. He's the craziest member of the band, yet he only spoke one sentence. Hmm....

purple SKY (Fall 2006)

My copy of the fall purple SKY issue arrived today (purple SKY is the successor of jrock ink, the first English language J-Rock magazine). Since I did't have time to read it, I briefly flipped through to see what's covered.

The fall 2006 issue features articles of the following nature:

MUCC interview
BLOOD interview
Plastic Tree interview
YOSHIKI at Otakon 2006
LUNA SEA albums
BUCK-TICK history
Gazette Nameless Liberty.Six Guns review
Live report on various indie bands (including 12012 and Phantasmagoria)
Dir en grey at Family Value Tour 2006 live report (written by Go of jrocknyc)
possibly a lot of other things I missed

This issue also has much improved layout design and uses glossy, thick paper. Quite nice.

I also noticed that the magazine subscription fee has gone up. Before the fall issue came out, the US subscription was only $12.50. Now, it's $17. Hmm... I might not renew my subscription for next year if the old subscribers also have to pay the new rate. At about $6 per issue, this is pretty damn expensive.

The SinAI Fanservice

Since my last post was about VIDOLL, I just have to share my love of the most fanservice-y PV I've seen in a while. It's SinAI, the video that turns my brain to utter mush and proves that yes, VIDOLL is indeed too gorgeous for the world to handle. When I first saw this PV, I almost fainted when I realized 2 seconds in that it's one of those "sparkly" PV's (I normally hate sparkly, insanely happy PV's), but decided to trudge on only because it's VIDOLL. I admit it, the major reason I even like this PV is due to the fanservice. *is ashamed of herself* But, the song is great, so having the fanservice doesn't hurt.

Fangirl Psychology 101:
1. Fangirls like seeing beautiful men
2. Fangirls like seeing beautiful men showing lots of skin
3. Fangirls like seeing beautiful men showing lots of skin, especially thighs

Catering to fangirls' wishes shall gain you a cult following and allows you to rip the said following's money off by releasing multiple editions of CDs. The fangirls'll curse and wail about the unfairness and empty wallets, but will likely buy the releases anyway. The suckers.

Oh, and here's the PV itself.

News: Very Important Doll Arriving Soon [2006.11.22]

(A post from the future! Daylight Saving Time ends in 2 minutes.)

UNDER CODE announced last month that VIDOLL (ヴィドール) will be releasing their very first full-length album called "V.I.D~Very Important Doll" on November 22. This will be their last release under UNDER CODE, for they'll be "graduating" from the label in February, 2007.

In typical UNDER CODE fashion though, this release comes with 2 (TWO!) editions. Type A consists of a 11-track CD with a PV DVD and costs 3,990 yen. Type B is a CD with the same 11 tracks from Type A, plus a bonus track that features a never before released song. This costs 3,260 yen.

I wanna kick UNDER CODE (or maybe just KISAKI)'s ass for doing this again. How the hell am I supposed to choose between the two editions? Yes, Type B is cheaper and has an extra song, but Type A has a PV DVD! I like PV DVDs. Jeez, I'm so tired of ranting about these greedy indie labels.

I'm debating whether I should bug YesAsia about making this available. I'll feel obliged to order it when YesAsia stocks it (and I'm sure they will).

I don't think this album is a limited release though. At least, the official website says nothing about it being one. Maybe I should just sit on my ass and wait 3 months before getting this. Or, maybe I'll be lucky and get this in mint condition from Yahoo! Auctions Japan for $5 less. ~_~ (Hah, dream on!)

Since this is my first blog post about VIDOLL, let me just throw in a PV for anyone who's interested in giving them a try. A lot of their songs make me feel happy. They just do.

Tafel Anatomie Arrived!

After much hassle, my copy of D's Tafel Anatomie limited edition album (pre-order-only release) finally arrived. I had feared that I didn't pre-order it early enough.

The album itself is really, a beautifully packaged thing. It's made to look like a hard-cover novel, the disc and the photo booklet are revealed when opened. The paper used for the booklet is thick and parchment-like. In addition to the photos of the band, the booklet includes a 100-question interview. Asagi and Tsunehito played basketball in high school? What the heck?! :D

Take note of the new costumes in the booklet (shown above). I'm relieved that Asagi finally shed that ugly white coat thing he wore for the Taiyou wo Okuru Hi PV. He looks so much better in this. Princess (Tsunehito), of course, is showing lots of skin. Supposedly, he never smiles, not even at lives. Oddly, he reminds me of Mana, with similar type of eye makeup and facial expression. And look at Asagi! Man, he's showing off so much thigh for a man who really isn't young anymore. It's amazing how he can pull it off so well.

I'm also pleased with the songs from this album. I especially adore 抉る衝動 (Eguru Shoudou), Glow in the sun, and Leukocyte. I hope that D'll make the PVs for those 3 songs.

By the way, now there is a LJ journal that's devoted to translating D (and Asagi solo) diary entries and lyrics. Check it out here.

News: Get Kagrra, to Perform in the US!

The Japanese Student Network (JSN) here in the United States will organize an event called Tokyo Night 2007 on March 31/April 1 in Los Angeles, California.

Q: What is Tokyo Night?

Our objectives of Tokyo Night are to promote a spirit of unity among those of different backgrounds, and to introduce them to both traditional and popular Japanese culture. We are also committed to helping young aspiring artists to expand their creative possibilities in the U.S. We will produce a synthetic entertainment event for our anticipated more than 2, 800 attendees by combining latest club music, visual arts and a fusion of Japanese goods and services. We strongly believe that it is important to create goodwill between people of different backgrounds: our goal remains to promote understanding and respect for differences along with a will to work together to achieve similar goals as members of the same society in order to advance harmony. These are the major themes for upcoming Tokyo Night 2007.

According to the related threads on Batsu J-Rock Forum, JSN is now in serious talks with Kagrra,'s management about the possibility of performing at Tokyo Night, but they must bring in an audience of 2000 or more. If you're pretty damn sure you can make it, please let the organizers of the event know. Bring our beloved Kagrra, to the US! (Please note that Tokyo Night is a 18+ event.)

Related Batsu threads...
Tokyo Night 2007: http://batsu.org/viewtopic.php?t=17562
Bring Kagrra, to Tokyo Night 2007: http://www.batsu.org/viewtopic.php?t=18851

Where Are They Now? / ギブス (GIVUSS)

GIVUSS was formed by Shou and Tora back in 2003 and disbanded in March of 2004. Its members by the time of their last maxi single release 能音楽、無生命。 (no music, no life.) consisted of Shou on vocals, Tora on guitar, Tsunehito on bass, and Yuu on drums. I wouldn't be surprised if you recognize the names. After the breakup, the band members' music career continued and now, they're...

Shou is now in alice nine., with much improved vocals and appearance.

Tora is also part of alice nine.. God, what the hell was he thinking with that awful makeup in the GIVUSS photo?

Tsunehito actually joined SCISSOR after GIVUSS. Upon SCISSOR'S breakup, he became the new bassist of D in 2006. I think he looked much cooler in GIVUSS. Now, I get the impulse to stab him in the eyes because he always look so startled in photoshoots.

Yuu's not-really-current band 華族 (Kazoku) broke up just last month. I know nothing about them.