Saturday, April 27, 2002

PORNO GRAFFITI NEXT SINGLE I don't know how many of you guys follow Porno Graffiti but their next single will be released on May 15 and is entitled Mugen. Apparently both it and the c/w are World Cup songs. Go figure. More information is here at CD Japan. Also, I'll be reviewing the new Brilliant Green single Forever to Me on here soon, as well as posting the second part of the vocalist review and another "Women in Jrock" entry. In case you haven't noticed, I've been the only one posting this week also! *pokes Moonsong with a stick* - Gerald - - Comment - It's 11:04 p.m., and Teru's still hugging his plant

Thursday, April 25, 2002

REVIEW: 忘れないから (WASURENAI KARA) [GACKT] Released 04.24.02 Tracklist: 1.忘れないから (Wasurenai Kara) 2.Dooms　day 3.忘れないから (Wasurenai Kara)（Inst.) 1. 忘れないから (WASURENAI KARA) Moonsong reviewed this earlier but I decided I couldn't give Dooms Day a proper review if I didn't do this song too. And actually, after getting Dooms Day, this song has somewhat grown on me. ^^;; This is definitely one of those songs in the "driving" category...as in "driving down the highway." The motorcycle noises, for one. The poppy beat, for another, reminiscent of Another World. The entire thing, in fact, sounds very much like a rip-off of L'Arc~en~Ciel's Driver's High. The beat in Driver's High is slightly faster (I'd say it's about 2bpm faster...in any case the difference is slight), but there are definitely noticeable similarities between the two songs. Go listen and compare. XD With that out of the way, now for the review. The song starts out with a motorcycle engine roar, which lasts for about 2 seconds and then cuts off abruptly. I'm not quite sure what kind of effect Gackt wanted to achieve with this, but it repeats throughout the song and is really jarring. In my opinion, it makes the song choppy, not the kind of effect you want if you're trying to write a song about speeding down a freeway on a motorcycle with wind in your hair etc etc. Anyway, after the choppy break, happy guitars enter. I don't have a problem with happy guitars, but the endless repetition of F# and B gets on my nerves. Yes, Gackt does tend to repeat notes in his accompaniment a lot, but this just seems rather bland. The melody of the verses isn't really anything memorable, though Gackt creates a nice effect with cutting out the guitars and having a simple percussion and bass accompaniment. The guitars enter back in for the chorus, which is slightly more memorable than the verses, with the big climax coming at the end of it, the "KARA!" which always makes me laugh. ^^; More motorcycle FX noises and the song repeats with slightly more accompaniment in the verses this time. As Moonsong mentioned, the highlight is definitely the instrumental bridge, with some pretty acoustic guitar. The motorcycle sounds start again about halfway through this and continue on through the first part of the chorus. The chorus then repeats again and then come the F# and B repeating guitars to end out the song. Unlike Another World, there are no ending FX noises. As to what I think about this song...you can probably tell from my review that I don't like it and probably never will. That isn't to say it isn't a good song. But it's a good song, not a great one. Musically, it's very stable. It's got a catchy rhythm, strong beat, and of course, Gackt's great voice and the talented musicians of Gackt Job to put it all together. In fact, I can't think of one reason musically speaking why I shouldn't like it (except for the motorcycle sounds which I think are annoying). Compared to Another World, however, (which is probably the closest Gackt song to compare this to and which I DID like) this doesn't measure up quite as well. It's a tad too repetitive and a tad too bland. While it tries to capture the "feel good" sentiment of Another World, Marmalade, or even U+K, it feels like Gackt was putting too much thought into the concept of the song and not the actual execution of the song itself. 2. DOOMS DAY The beginning of this reminds me vaguely of Luna Sea's Be Awake, but there really are no other similarities. This is definitely a song in the Rebirth style with a touch of late Mars-era added in. After the bass-heavy introduction, the accompaniment cuts out and Gackt croons with some whispery effects in the background. The accompaniment begins building in the second stanza of the verse and bursts into the explosive chorus. The chorus of this is rather odd and may startle some people before they get used to it. It starts out loud and dramatic for the first line, then suddenly gets very soft. It continues to do this until the end of the second chorus at about 2:03, when Gackt belts out "anata no koe o!" and then it continues loud and dramatic to the bridge. The bridge itself consists of lots of special effects with a strong, throbbing bass and pounding drums to provide a full bottom to the sound. Think Oasis, Nine Spiral, or most of the songs from "Rebirth". After the bridge, Gackt comes in with the chorus again, but this time it's the chorus with no sudden dips in the sound. We get to hear some falsetto as well as the song wails towards the end. At 4:09, the song just suddenly stops in mid-rhythm, as if suspended in midair while rushing towards its final destination. In the absence of instrumentation, there is the soft sound of a beating heart with a few crystal-like synthesized effects in the background, and then the song ends. My first reaction upon hearing this song was to break down into tears and then hug my computer. -_- Actually, no, but I did breathe a big sigh of relief. Sorry to all of you who DID like 忘れないから, but I didn't, and I was afraid Dooms Day was going to be another disappointment for me. I'm not a big pop fan, but I do listen to some pop, and I have no doubt that Gackt could be a huge jpop star if he tried. But that's not why I listen to Gackt, and a Gackt who doesn't search for something deeper in his music just doesn't appeal to me. Dooms Day renewed my faith that he hasn't totally gone off the deep end and isn't just wanting those five seconds of fame in an industry where the average popularity time is 8 months. And this, boys and girls, is what we call "marketing technique." Our Gackt is a savvy guy. What better way to garner in new fans than by producing a poppy, unintiated-friendly single, and what better way to hold on to the old fans than by putting a Gackt-track on the B-side? Gackt's B-sides have had a reputation for always being good, sometimes better than the actual singles themselves, and Dooms Day is no exception. In any case, this single should appeal to both new and old Gackt fans alike. I admit neither of the tracks are stunning. 忘れないから is no 君のためにできること (Kimi ni...), and Dooms Day is no Cube or EMU. But not even Yoshiki can consistently churn out works of art equally alike in brilliance. ...All right, maybe Yoshiki can. But Gackt isn't Yoshiki now, is he? *mutters and glares at Moonsong* - Gerald - - Comment - It's 11:15 p.m., and Teru's still hugging his plant

Wednesday, April 24, 2002

GACKT'S FINAL FANTASY I don't know what kind of fantasies Gackt has been having, but apparently Final Fantasy is one of them. Check out this picture from character designs for Final Fantasy XI and tell me if that doesn't look like Gackt. That's the third FF character that's been modeled after him. Also, title of Gackt's album has been announced as "Moon." Thanks to Yev and Sawasdee Gackt for the info. - Gerald - - Comment - It's 11:08 p.m., and Teru's still hugging his plant

Wednesday, April 24, 2002

JANNE DA ARC GAIA LYRICS/TRANSLATION Since I have not been able to find romanized or translated lyrics to Janne da Arc's album Gaia anywhere on line, I've taken it upon myself as a pet project. I've finished romanizing all the lyrics and translated all but 4 songs, and I should be finished no later than Friday. The page is here. If you find mistakes, please email me. I am not fluent in Japanese and so might misinterpret things. Also, I romanized everything rather quickly so please be patient if you find spelling errors. I haven't gone back and double checked everything yet. Also, I should be reviewing Gackt's new single sometime, but meanwhile, Dooms Day is in the new release download section for you to try. XD - Gerald - - Comment - It's 11:01 p.m., and Teru's still hugging his plant

Monday, April 22, 2002

NEW HIDE ALBUM AND FUN WITH HIDE'S HAT Apparently this one IS a hide remix album, consisting of remixes by various trance artists. See the page at CD Japan for more details. Release date is May 22. And now...presenting: FUN WITH HIDE'S HAT First, click here to see the picture of hide and his hat (you should already know what it looks like, of course! But just in case...) Now, name these artists (click to see picture): 1 2 3 4 5 6 Highlight below to see the answers... 1. Taiji [X Japan: bass] 2. Hyde [L'Arc~en~Ciel: vocal] 3. Masaki [Transtic Nerve: drums] 4. Inoran [Luna Sea: guitar] 5. Ken [L'Arc~en~Ciel: guitar] 6. Ken Lloyd [Oblivion Dust: vocal] Wasn't that fun? It also proves one thing...Taiji was the FIRST one to start the hat trend. We should give credit where it's due. So there. XD - Gerald - - Comment - It's 09:52 p.m., and Teru's still hugging his plant

Thursday, April 18, 2002

GAIA [JANNE DA ARC] I know this came out a while back, but I've been meaning to review it since it came out...and I haven't. And better late than never, right? Janne da Arc is one of those bands who, though I really hate to admit it, have a lot of songs that sound much the same. I'm sure it's not from lack of creativity, but that's just how they are. Probably they just prefer songs of that style. Anyway, on with the review. 1. GAIA The title song and my favorite non-single song on this album. The beginning starts with great, slow, mysterious guitar, with Kiyo's keyboard underneath and then Shuji entering on drums to provide a buildup of tension. This song is unique in the JDA repertoire, and in rock repertoire in general, because it has no true "alternating" verse and chorus. Instead, the "verse" part of the song lasts until about 2:55, continuing to build up tension through use of a rather repetitive (though in a good way!) set of notes and a choral accompaniment. At 2:55, the instrumental accompaniment segues into a grand and sweeping arrangement that even Yoshiki would be proud of, and Yasu literally takes off into a chanting chorus that takes us through the rest of the song. His falsetto is showcased at its finest here. The entire song reminds me of some remote Celtic forest on the side of a cliff with the ocean pounding at the rocks. Very fitting for the title, I think. 2. SERU The title of this is in katakana...I'm not quite sure if it's supposed to mean something else, or just SERU. The song opens with a resounding drum roll from Shuji and speeds off into JDA land, with a typical fast feel to it. The melody could be described as "aboriginal," with the drums, tambourine, and moving bass adding to the feeling of it being some nomadic tribal dance song. It's a decent song but nothing memorable. 3. SISTER Opens with a chime-like melodic effect. The beat in this is much more standard JDA fare than the first two songs. The verse reminds me of earlier single Mysterious and feels a little too slow for the beat of the song, though that doesn't really detract from it. Yasu is in fine form in the chorus, just rolling through those notes. The chorus sounds like it speeds up from the verses, though both are the same speed. Interesting... 4. FEEL THE WIND My favorite single on here. All you JDA fans have probably beaten this to death, but I'll review it just in case some people are interested. The violin sounds of Kiyo's keyboard are the highlight of this song (though they show real violin players on the PV), soaring and dipping through Yasu's voice and creating a great contrast. This is a much happier and poppier song than they usually play, but it works. At the 3:28 mark, the song shifts up a half-step and we get to hear Yasu at the top of his range (which, as always, he does very well. There's no falsetto in this song, by the way.) The thing that might throw people off a bit is the repeat of "I'm feeling the wind in the sky without your love!" which composes the last 45 seconds or so of the song. 5. CURSE You enters at the beginning with sharp, angry chords on guitar, joined by Ka-yu's bass. This is a harder song, though the entrance of Kiyo at about the half minute mark softens the tone a bit. The chorus is pretty standard and sounds much like the chorus of Sister, though the last few ending notes of it has Yasu jumping around from the lower end of the octave to the higher. 6. GUILTY PAIN Even harder rock than Curse, this song is slightly slower with lots of power chords in the guitar and a heavy bass line. The wailing keyboard in the background is also very nice and the bridge is very melodic sounding. Other than that, I don't find much to distinguish it from Curse. 7. ZERO For all you guitarists and guitar fans out there, an EXCELLENT acoustic guitar solo by You. It alternates between calm, tame chords, and running sixteenth and thirty-second notes, mostly scales and turns. It sounds like there are some harmonics in there as well. This is a short piece (only 2 minutes) but well worth a listen. 8. STILL ...And Zero segues into the only slow (well, slow-ER) song on the album. It's not a ballad by any means, but Kiyo's keyboard is set on piano for the verses and strings for the chorus, and Shuji uses a wonderful smooth drumming style here that reminds me of Sakura's (ex Laruku) older works. Both the verse and chorus are extremely melodic and singable and the bridge has a great "breathy" chorus set over the accompaniment. Kiyo definitely carries this song, providing a great backup harmony to Yasu's melody, and You's guitar solo, though not phenomenal, is nice as well. Overall, I've been very impressed with all of JDA's midtempo songs so far. It's a shame they don't do more of them. 9. AGE Bass solo! Ka-yu takes center stage for about 6 seconds with a bass intro that sets the mood for the rest of the song. This is definitely a song written in mind for the bass, and Ka-yu really shines, with tons of moving notes and just a great performance in general. You provides support with distorted guitar, but apart from his solo, he's mostly background noise. I don't care much for the melody on the verses, but Yasu has a really nice performance on the chorus, especially on the higher notes. Recommended for bassists/bass fans. 10. SEED I didn't really like this single, but just like with Feel the Wind, I'll review here anyway. You opens with an alternating A-E-A-E pattern and is then joined by everyone else on the same notes for a very heavy effect before the arrangement branches into harmony. The entire song feels very repetitive to me, though the chorus is slightly more creative than the verses, and the harmony is tweaked just enough to make it sound interesting without it sounding wrong, if you get what I'm trying to say. ^^; 11. PLASTIC This is an interesting song. I'm undecided on if I like this or not - there are some nice effects in here but the overall impression I got wasn't wonderful. A guitar "fanfare" begins the song, followed by...mallets? which are probably Kiyo on keyboard, since I don't think Shuji has a mallet station at his drumset. The accompaniment is sparse as Yasu enters on an F#, which is higher than he usually does, singing the chorus first. The bass comes in after the first stanza to add bottom to the sound. The tempo is slower, along the lines of Still, but it's definitely not meant to be as pop-friendly. 12. SILVIA The last single and last song on the CD. The beginning is rather jarring, with alternating C#-F in the guitar, and then Kiyo's keyboard enters in what sounds like a weird reprisal of Gaia's orchestra-esque accompaniment. The Gaia feel is continued throughout the whole song, but it's much less mysterious and mystical. Instead, Yasu's vocals are warmer, giving it a "closer," more accessible feel, and his falsetto during the chorus is, as always, dead on. The tempo feels like it fluctuates once or twice, though it's actually not the tempo itself but the arrangement of the song. At first I didn't think this was a good song to end the album with, but after listening to it again, it provides a good contrast to Gaia, the album's opening track. In all, this album is pretty much pure Janne da Arc, but as always, all the musicians perform exceptionally and they've even managed to surprise me once or twice. Definitely recommended for a first time listener. - Gerald - - Comment - It's 10:50 p.m., and Teru's still hugging his plant