+Rei-view: [Live Performance DVD] Spiral Staircase #15 – D’espairsRay

Spiral Staircase #15 Final
20070513 Shibuya-AX JapanRelease Date: 05/09/2007Length: Approx. 118 minutes

Tracklist:

1. DAMNED
2. Angeldust
3. MIЯROR
   

   Spiral Staircase #15 Final DVD Cover

4. in vain
   
5. SIXty∞NINe
6. PIG
7. Lost Scene
   
8. Closer to ideal
   
9. TRICKSTər
10. SCREEN
11. Squall
12. Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana (凍える夜に咲いた花)
13. Reddish -DIVA ver.-
14. DESERT
15. Hollow
16. Fuyuu shita Risou 「浮遊した理想」
17. Kaleidoscope

Special Features:

Encore 1:

1. BORN
2. Forbidden

Encore 2:

1. #14
2. facism ファシズム
3. murder freaks

Encore 3:
1. TATOEBA KIMI…GA…SHINDA…RA (タトエバ」キミ…ガ…シンダ…ラ)

D'espairsRay: HIZUMI (v), Karyu (g), ZERO (b), TSUKASA (dr)

It seems like reviews for live performance DVDs are a rare thing as I haven’t seen many around…well, formal ones at least. I’ve never written a live performance DVD review before so I don’t know how to go about it. This will probably one of the only one’s I’ll write since I actually own the DVD.

So one Friday night, I took over the downstairs of my house and after having warned my family of the little rock concert I was conducting in the lounge, was free to turn the volume up for maximum enjoyment.

The first thing I noticed about the DVD was the sound quality. Shibuya-AX has great acoustics and I say this as it seems like they kept the original sound from the live, indicated by the slightly echoing quality the sound has and in the way the guitars are toned down with vocals and drums more prominent in the songs. I’m glad they didn’t fix it up as it really makes you feel like you’re right there being moshed to death with the crowd. Not only does the sound transport you to the live but also captures the energy of the band and even listening to it without visuals has you feeling pumped and ready to bang…it would make a damn fantastic live recording CD. XD

Other aspects of production that were well done were camera work and editing. There are cameras everywhere offering amazing close-ups in every angle left, right and which ways of HIZUMI, Karyu, ZERO and TSUKASA. There are also shots of the whole stage from above and behind the audience and even the occasional glimpse into the crowd. It is in this sense that you can say how well the editing is done as taking so many different shots and combining them into coherent footage that doesn’t dizzy you is no easy feat.

There’s not much MCing between songs and it seems like the longer sections where HIZUMI spoke where cut – obviously, though not abruptly, in some cases. However, this allows for almost 2 hours of non-stop, power housed rocking.I’ve heard D’espairsRay get up to some mischief at theirlives, not to mention they have some really interesting and intelligent discussions [especially Zero talking about his pink underwear XD] and while the main feature is free from their antics, they’re not absent from the DVD.

If you are on the menu screen and leave the DVD running for a while, it will automatically start playing extra footage, that, as far as my experience goes, can not be accessed in any other way. This extra features performance, MC and even backstage clips from various lives at venues both relatively large and small.It starts with the band going through the setlist at SHIBUYA O-WEST and conducting Spiral Staircase #1 there, leading up to Spiral Staircase #15. Not forgetting the zany side of D’espairsRay, HIZUMI says some funny stuff during a few of his MCs [judging by the audience's reaction at least XD] but most definitely not to be missed is a hilarious scene where Karyu knocks HIZUMI in the face. XD

Again on editing, something particularly useful is that the song titles come up on screen just as they are about to be played…even though HIZUMI does announce some of the songs…but just in case you missed it or didn’t understand what he was saying.

Special attention is paid to in the technicalities of the actual show both in terms of the stage set and lighting.

Quite literally, a spiral staircase was constructed for the live, serving as a simple but highly effective backdrop to the band. It’s rigged with lights and occasionally illuminates making for a spectacular sight.

Spiral Staircase

The lighting is amazing, perfectly co-ordinated to suit the changing moods of songs ranging from cool colours of rich purples and blues to warm, deep reds. It’s quite something how even the warm colours somehow manage to maintain the dark, brooding atmosphere the live has. Regular lighting is hardly ever used and the guys are constantly dyed with coloured lighting, sometimes each individually but differently so. Very much you could say the lighting moves with the music. The white flashes during in vain are enough to give anyone epilepsy and a burst of sparks in MIЯROR signalling the first chorus had the crowd going crazy. Interestingly enough, a smoke machine is also used during DESERT, clouding the stage.

Generally there’s not much movement amongst the stage from the band.Rarely does anyone interact with any other member and it seems like each performer has their own portion of the stage designated for only them to move in: Karyu constantly has his foot on the amp, head-banging to the right; ZERO’s pulling some twisters to the left while HIZUMI jumps about centre stage and TSUKASA…he’s the drummer. ().o It’s filmed very much to suit this and a lot of the focus is on individual members rather than the whole band. However, despite this separateness, D’espairsRay still very much are one and their performance is far from boring.

The majority of songs are off their Mirror album (released earlier in 2007), promising a power-packed performance which is exactly what D’espairsRay deliver. Kickstarting the show is DAMNED, thundering in like nothing you’ve heard before with TSUKASA pounding away on drums. Despite all this, HIZUMI manages to remain still, concentrating and compressing the energy from the deep booming during the verses into slow and controled hand gestures, before letting it all loose during the chorus using nothing but his voice. It’s incredible.

As I said before, due to the live sound quality of the DVD, bass and guitar aren’t as distinctive or clear as the drums and vocals but during in vain ZERO and Karyu really stand out. Not to mention Karyu does this neat trick where he tilts his guitar right over…

Karyu's cool guitar trick

Karyu continues to impress with some majorly awesome riffage in PIG. It’s the first time I’ve heard this song and I was in absolute awe as I watched him play. Karyu’s performance in PIG really highlights just how much of a talented guitarist he is even if only for a few brief moments…of course, we all already know he’s got skillz with a “z”. Closer to ideal also saw an unforgettable performance by D’espairsRay. The lighting is dramatic in every sense and could very well have been a show of it’s own. During the opening of the song, lights wind down the spiral staircase only to start going off like multiple camera flashes when the heavy riffs come in and sparking at every accented note. This performance also sees some of the most audience participation during the live. There’s synchronised head banging during the opening both from the audience and band, ZERO and Karyu doubled over while HIZUMI riles up everyone with his screams. The mass of usually randomly waving arms in the air transforms during the chorus into a single significant movement of rising hands. It’s almost like the crowd’s conducting the band as they do their furitsuke. [I have to say the randomest songs have furi...] TSUKASA has some excellent drumming moments during this song and they’re even more fantastic live, the audience clapping in time with him as he rhythmically hammers on. The audience and band really connect during this performance.

After TRICKSTəR comes the, so to speak, “interlude” with lighter songs of SCREEN, Squall and Kogoeru Yoru Ni Saita Hana marked with HIZUMI removing his  fur-lined jacket much to the joy of fangirls. The live is slowed down, giving the audience a chance to take a breather from all the crazy rocking and admire HIZUMI’s nice body.

For the fangirls...

HIZUMI is absolutely mesmerizing in SCREEN and it’s not because he’s shirtless. At the beginning of the song, his voice is soft; a gentle whisper strung with pain before bursting through the haunting moment with powerful vocals filled with sorrow. From here on, every line is sung with all his heart, his passionate vocals drawing you in. I’ve always found SCREEN to be a beautiful track particularly because of HIZUMI’s vocals which are so rich in emotion but in this performance it’s even more powerfully moving.

Squall brightens the mood significantly and the whole band can be seen giving it their all at the climax of the song while Kogoeru Yoru Ni Saita Hana subtly eases everyone back into the rock side of things, the audience singing to the band when all but the drums falls silent. Then it’s back to the madhouse with the loud and outrageous Reddish -DIVA ver.-, the lighting as trashy as the song itself and everyone really starts getting into the swing of things.

HOLLOW is the 3rd last song of the main set list and it’s here that the energy is really running high both from the D’espa and audience. All hell breaks loose. The opening guitar riff of the song has the crowd pumping their fists and shouting, “Hey! Hey! Hey!” and ZERO jumping around the stage and Karyu (now without his purple trench coat) briefly swaps sides with him. And then just as you expect the guitar solo to come in, the unexpected happens. Mid-performance the footage starts fuzzing like a disrupted transmission but rest assured [I was an idiot didn't read it until later] as the enclosed booklet tells you to note, this is all part of the producer’s intention. One has to wonder what the guys are up to under all that static…>_>;

After a while, things return back to normal, picking up in the middle of one of choruses after which HOLLOW’S guitar solo comes in. The improvisation that the live has been so desperately been missing now comes into play. D’espairsRay continue to excite the audience, extending HOLLOW’s charged guitar solo. Everyone on stage looks like they’re having a good time with all their hand banging, ZERO and Karyu even having the chance to encourage the crowd by throwing their arms in the air. There’s no doubt how the audience feel about this with their continual shouts.

Compared to their limited and stiff stage movement of before the guys are literally going crazy – Karyu and ZERO jumping around and spinning and even HIZUMI finding the time to head bang while walking round stage and telling everyone to keep it up. Eventually it becomes too much for Karyu to take and after a dramatic strum, he stumbles back like he’s drunk before walking to the side of the stage where he holds on to the top of an amp and start’s pelvic thrusting it.()_() He recovers from his orgasm energy high after a while but now it’s HIZUMI’S turn to completely lose it.

During the live HIZUMI hardly head bangs but now he’s buckled over at every chance he gets, his whole body heaving as he bangs like a maniac. And oh my gosh, there’s even more movement from D’espa with HIZUMI, Karyu and ZERO completely swapping places and moving all over the stage – now everyone can enjoy what they each have to offer to the performance. Further more this movement sees some stage interaction between the guitarist and bassist *gasp*. Who are you people and what have you done with D’espairsRay!?! Karyu finally acknowledges that ZERO exists (and vice-versa) and that they’re performing on the same stage, walking right up to ZERO as the bassist head bangs low down by Karyu’s guitar. On seeing the guitarist, ZERO straightens up and…hits Karyu/Karyu’s guitar…WTF!? In all honesty I have no idea what happens between them.

But yes, after this, everyone returns back to their designated places and the song starts moving forward again and ends with HIZUMI pointing a finger to his head as he sings HOLLOW’s ending lyrics: “I want to see the blue sky,I put the trigger in my hand to my crazed brain.” …This pretty much describes the state of mind of D’espairsRay during the performance of this song. XD The guys really are high on the energy of the crowd, losing all their inhibitions but the sad thing is how it comes so late in the game. Nevertheless, I have never I seen such a psychotic and trashy performance! （゜▽゜）

There’s more energy building before going into the second last song of Fuyuu shita Risou where TSUKASA drums like a beast. At one point during the song when the camera shows a shot of the audience, all you can see is different tones of dyed hair flying in all directions as everyone head bangs with their arms around each other!

Together we bang

Just like the Mirror album, starting with DAMNED and ending with Kaleidoscope; Spiral Staircase #15 does the same. HIZUMI returns back to minimal movement and a mic stand like he did in DAMNED making his performance all the more powerful. There’s no dramatic burst to signal the release of confetti and before you’ve realised it, confetti falls about of the band like sakura petals. But the dimmed blue light this performance is set to avoids this Japanese cliche, instead reminding of you gentle snowfall on a winter’s night with HIZUMI’S rich voice melting through the chill. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.

Spiral Staircase #15 Finale

And with an  “Arigato” from HIZUMI, D’espairsRay leave the stage, the credits roll over a scene of the crowd waiting and the screen fades to black before taking you back to the title menu. The end. Then you notice the “special contents” option lingering to the right of your screen…

Although the DVD booklet lists only 4 encore songs, there are in fact 6, as listed above. Unfortunately HIZUMI puts on a purple tour T-shirt for the encore and the rest of the band follows suit in the second one. Karyu adds his own personal touch by wearing a scarf. ^_^

To say Desupa saved the best for last would be a huge understatement – every encore performance has the band giving their all. The live becomes so much more personal and the guys are happy to indulge the audience. Karyu spits his guitar picks into the screaming crowd, soaking up all the attention while ZERO and HIZUMI shower fans with water from their water bottles.

Karyu smiling =D

The guys really loosen up and their enjoyment becomes clear on their faces. The second encore, #14, is a good example of this. #14 is not an actual song but rather TSUKASA and Karyu having a jam session during which ZERO and HIZUMI energise the audience. Karyu smiles as he starts plays a ripping riff and soon comes to look like he’s having the time of his life.

In Facism there’s a lot of

"Are you looking at me?"

audience/band interaction. At one point in the song, the crowd crouches down while HIZUMI addresses them and on his screaming word, spring up and start jumping up and down like crazy. There’s also a very funny moment, when the bassist and vocalist pre-occupied, that Karyu takes a walk to TSUKASA and points directly at the camera behind the drummer. TSUKASA then turns around and looks oh so innocently at it; very much unlike the serious expression he usually has.

Murder Freaks comes as something similar to HOLLOW’s performance and during this song D’espairsRay’s real rockstar persona comes out: TSUKASA pauses to taunt the crowd with a finger, asking them to give him more; Karyu shows you what not to do with your guitar, dragging it by the strap as he spins in a circle; HIZUMI [the first time I saw this I nearly had a heart attack] stage dives into the crowd, hundreds of hands holding him up before a staff member comes to his rescue and ZERO kneels at the edge of the stage to head-bang for the audience. @_@

Last of the special contents is the “Off Shot” [Off Shoot?]. This is basically an extra that shows some behind the scenes footage of the organisation of the Spiral Staircase #15 Final and all the events leading up to the live starting with the crew building the magnificent Spiral Staircase at Shibuya-AX. D’espairsRay arrive at the venue unmaked-up and casually dressed and then do a sound check. Meanwhile, scores of fans have gathered outside Shibuya-AX, excitedly waiting for the D’espairsRay’s big performance and soon enter the venue. Lastly we see the guys fully kitted, maked-up and hair-styled, getting ready for the live. Most of the guys ignore the camera spying on them in their dressing room except for TSUKASA who directly points at it. What is with TSUKASA and cameras? XD Then we’re backstage watching the band right before their peformance, listening to fans cheering. They then walk onto the stage one by one to the mysterious opening of DAMNED…it’s enough to make you go to the beginning of the DVD and watch it all over again! XD

Besides displaying D’espairsRay’s ability to hold an excellent, superb, amazing live show; this DVD also showcases the band’s talent as musicians but as you can probably tell from all I’ve said for the must-watch performances, I was particular impressed with HIZUMI’s vocals. I’ve always thought his voice has a wonderfully rich texture and a nice range but really they are just superb during the live. They sound almost exactly like the recordings of songs meaning there’s not much polishing of them in studio. His vocals and growls are powerful and pack a punch and he hardly breaks a sweat for performing any of it live. During Facism with it’s consecutive growls, I was amazed at how he was still going strong even after having possibly been singing for 19-songs straight. He also has no problems hitting high notes and nails that tricky one in SIXty∞NINe. If anyone bitches to me at how HIZUMI’s not that perfect, I will agree as he slips on a few notes but that’s only if you’re being super, super picky about it and most likely listening to the DVD with headphones to catch it – he is still a damn fantastic vocalist.

If you enjoyed D’espairsRay’s Mirror album then I highly recommend you get this DVD as there are some explosive performances. If you’re a D’espairsRay fan then I say GET THIS DVD NOW HIZUMI’s shirtless, Karyu sexually assaults an amp as you will definitely enjoy all that it has to offer from the extra footage to the performances of a diverse set of songs both of their newer sound with Mirror and darker, thrashier roots with the encores – I sure did! (￣▽￣) I mean crap, there’s 5 pages of MS Word documents worth of written work here…

Other Reviews:

• J!-ENT
• jrocknyc <– Highly recommended!

+Rei-view: [Album] NIL – the GazettE ガゼット

NIL Album Cover

Release Date:

• Japan – 08/02/2006
• Europe – 30/05/2006

Track List

1. THE END
2. Nausea & Shudder
3. Bath Room
   
4. Maggots
5. Namaatatakai Ame to Zaratsuita Jyounetsu (生暖かい雨とざらついた情熱)
6. D.L.N
7. SHADOW VI II I [PV]
8. Baretta (バレッタ)
9. Cassis [PV]
10. SILLY GOD DISCO [PV]
11. DISCHARGE
12. Taion (体温) [PV]
    

The special edition includes a DVD disc with the SHADOW VI II I PV.

Yes, NIL was released 2 years ago but the reason why I’m reviewing it now is because I’ve heard many things of this album…mostly of it’s sheer brilliance and how STACKED RUBBISH was an epic failure in comparison. Also, I have the Disorder and STACKED RUBBISH albums and everything else inbetween but the whole of NIL has always been elusive. Besides, I wanted to own something by the Gazeguys and support them in their wonderful music-making. (^_^)

1. THE END: What I’ve noticed and gathered from listening to the other album openings, is that with The GazettE the opening tracks are usually the quirkier of the album. Thinking about it now, it seems like the guys throw every element of conventional/commercial song-writing out the window: it’s the track they experiment with the most with a sound the band doesn’t usually do. In Gazetto’s case, it’s hip-hop which you can hear influencing the vocals of all the opening tracks of their albums. Ruki sounds absolutely ridiculous in DISORDER’S Intro with his mumbling rap along with the hip-hop beat, police sirens and cellphone beeps. I feel this to such an extent that I actually feel bad for Ruki and it pains me to listen to the track. THE END, on the other hand, is a track with musical value. Once again, an odd style of vocals have been used. Ruki’s voice is deep and a stereo effect has been used with his voice jumping from headphone to headphone making for quite an interesting listen. While Ruki’s voice is the focus, there’s simple but very effective guitar which gives it a dark and mysterious feel. Oh, and I finally discovered why it’s called ‘THE END‘. Besides the contradictory of it being the first track on the album, towards the end of the track, there’s a subtle series of soft clicks and after the song’s faded out, a gun shot.

2. Nausea and Shudder: …I can’t describe the kind of sound this song has but it’s taken everything from the GazettE that I’ve ever known and stuck it into one making for one heck of a song and roller coaster ride. It’s got chaos, impulse and just a touch of violence but at the same time there are parts of the song that are solid, controlled and emotional. Besides this, it also shows off Ruki’s many vocal styles ranging from the roughness that you hear from Maggots to the beautiful and calming you hear from Cassis and even some slight voice processing. Blend the Cassis vocals which are perfectly pitched in this song; the processed voice inbetween; the lyrics “In deep slowly sky” and you get my favourite, heart-wrenching moment of the song. Really, Nausea and Shudder is the embodiment of the GazettE and listening to it just makes me wanna cry for every moment of musical genius they’ve had in the many songs they’ve made.

3. Bath Room: Cliched as it may be, the song starts off with the sound of dripping water which is very atmospheric and for me, somehow manages to put the whole song into perspective. Mildly tempo-ed and almost ballad-like, the guitars are the highlight of Bath Room. The opening guitar riff is awesome. Listen carefully and you’ll hear a lot of different guitar work going on in each earphone for the verses. The chorus has some beautiful backing vocals which further add to emotional quality of the song. Sentimental, regretful, beautiful – it’s like walking in dream.

4. Maggots: Serves as a wake-up call after Nausea and Shudder and Bath Room, literally screaming in your face. It’s GazettE violence at it’s best with heavy, relentless guitar; harsh vocals that’ll make your ears bleed and an interlude with incoherent mumbling that will seriously make you question the guys’ sanity when they wrote this song. Anarchy and deafness, reign!

5.Namaatatakai Ame to Zaratsuita Jyounetsu (生暖かい雨とざらついた情熱): Is a jazzy piece that has a very cool bass line and guitar solo. Nothing too exceptional about this song but the acoustic guitar interlude is fresh, fun and funky which makes this song just a little bit more memorable.

6. D.L.N: What I’d say is one of the more memorable songs from slower songs GazettE have produced, it opens with guitar that’s clear, beautiful and every note shining reminding me of the guitar used in Guren [or rather Guren's guitar work was inspired by D.L.N?]. Along with Ruki’s steady vocals in the chorus, is a choir of children with angelic voices creating an effect that’s heavenly peaceful. Coming to accompany all this is light piano that just pulls you into the song. D.L.N simply radiates with light.

7. SHADOW VI II I: Is a rock song packed full of energy and while it seemingly sounds the same throughout, there’s a lot of subtle sounds that are added in and changed [including some awesome bass solos] that you just have to appreciate. A surprise and nice change of pace of the song is when Ruki starts singing a soprano rendition over acoustic guitar that’s played by Aoi. Overall, it’s an energetic song with a good feel that’s one of the GazettE’s easier listenings.

8. Baretta (バレッタ): Has a start reminding me of D.L.N with its soft guitars and gentle singing before launching into a section where Ruki’s voice deepens [I'm sure some effect has been used here too] and the guitars begin to pick up speed – it’s my favourite part of the song. The songs slows once again but at the chorus picks up speed to sound rock-like which significantly distinguishes it from D.L.N. And from here, the song doesn’t drop in tempo. At 3:06 there’s a brief moment for Kai to show off his drumming which is delightful to listen to because he so rarely gets a chance to exhibit his skills and soon Aoi and Uruha steal the show with an awesome guitar solo. There’s also some great bass work from Reita that I couldn’t help but caught up in.

9. Cassis: …what to say, what to say? It’s almost every Gazetto fan’s favourite and not only famous for it’s *cough* English lyrics of “I will walk together, the future not promised” but also as a beautiful romantic song. And it’s so popular in Japan that it’s been used as the opening of well-known television show, Rank Ôkoku. Despite me hearing all this, it was one of the last songs I downloaded from NIL and listened to it only much later on discovering the band. The intro is that of beautiful [this word is so overused in this review] acoustic guitar that is found throughout the song. Piano of the same caliber then takes over leaving the guitar to fall into the background with Ruki then opening with soft, heart-felt vocals. I can see why many fans like this song as the instrumentation is top-notch especially the piano which is so expressive [I really appreciate this as I've started to play it myself and it sounds nothing like the actual song]; there’s a passionate vocal performance from Ruki and the guitar solo is amazing despite sounding harsh and whiny in contrast to the rest of the song and I still enjoy listening to it despite the big “COMMERCIALIZED” sticker plastered all over it .

the GazettE as seen in the SILLY GOD DISCO PV

10. SILLY GOD DISCO: Has one of the catchiest bass openings of all time! The song has both a jazz and dance feel to it [which I find quite incredulous] and I think it can be attributed to the jazzy trumpets (?) and groovy bass line. It’s one of the more easy going songs of the album and the upbeat rhythm cuts you loose from all those dark feelings building up from previous songs from the album. It’s a feel-good song.

The PV is a must-watch with Ruki dressed in his black feather boa, Uruha in purple showing some skinand throughout the PV, the Gazeguys in their smart waistcoats and bow ties.

Ruki at a candle-lit dinner. From the SILLY GOD DISCO PV

It’s classy, disco-fun with the GazettE as Ruki sings with his megaphone and everyone moves to the song in a fancy, chandelier lit foyer.

Definitely one of my favourites in terms of PV and song and from NIL. It’s one of the most original songs I’ve heard from the GazettE.

11. DISCHARGE: From jazzy disco to head-banging metal, DISCHARGE delivers an even bigger dose of violence than that of Maggots‘ madness. The head-banging favourite of all the GazettE’s song [think mass synchronized head-banging at lives], it’s raw energy and power that doesn’t stop but for an interlude of rough choral shouts. Needless to say, the lyrics are completely undistinguishable but I swear I heard, “…fucking Japanese!” somewhere amongst all that chaos. You can’t look this up in the lyrics booklet as the DISCHARGE lyrics have ever so artistically been scribbled over. Lyrics aside, DISCHARGE is just the thing for releasing pent up emotions of anger.

12.Taion (体温): Meaning ‘Body Temperature’, is a tribute to *WARNING Mature content: Concrete -Encased High School Girl Murder Junko Furuta*…Every aspect of the song: the haunting opening guitars; the heavy chorus; Ruki’s falsely lulling vocals; the desperate sound of the guitar solo; the evocative lyrics of “And violence rapes me”, the concept of the PV…all bleed with raw emotion. The amount of feeling…it’s incredible and indescribable. Arguably one the most amazing songs the GazettE has ever made, Taion is the perfect ending to the album.

Truly, NIL was the GazettE at the pinnacle of their musical career and just about every song on the album is memorable and unique. Songs like D.L.N and Nausea and Shudder have presented the freshest and most original sounds I’ve heard from the band. The album showcases the GazettE’s versatile sound and talent with the heaviest the band’s gone in Maggots and DISCHARGE; the much loved hits of Cassis, SHADOW VI II I and SILLY GOD DISCO; ballad-like tracks of Bath Room and D.L.N and the moving Taion.

I love NIL – most of my all-time favourite songs from the GazettE are found on this album and it has really left an impression on me. The album makes a statement and offering the GazettE at their finest musical moments without being pretentious. NIL is a must have album or at the very least a must listen to album from the Visual Kei world.

Rating: ♫♫♫♫♫ – 5 music notes out of 5

+Rei-view: PV Collection

It’s quite a pain for me to review PVs here on WordPress due to all the problems I have with inserting pictures into posts. XD

So here are links to the reviews I’ve done on my other site:

• [PV] Break Down – Girugamesh ギルガメッシュ 26/10/2008
• [PV] LEECH – the GazettE ガゼット 10/10/2008
  
• [PV] RAINBOWS – alice nine. アリス九號. 01/08/2008

And if you have any comments on any of the above posts feel free to leave them here on this post or there’s the shoutbox on Asphyxia under “Speak Up…I have my headphones on!” for non-Vox members.

+Rei-view: [Single] KAMIKAZE – D’espairsRay

KAMIKAZE Album Cover

Release Date: 06/08/2008

Track List:

1. KAMIKAZE
2. Scissors
3. BRILLIANT – Live 30 Dec. 07 -

Usually I don’t think or say much on the album artwork of a CD but this really deserves a cover comment.

Cool idea. Too bad it’s so badly photoshopped. The women looks more like she’s floating in the middle of nowhere than hurtling herself off the side of a cliff – it’s more laughable than moving. It seems that with uneccessary and crappy logo changes, comes badly-executed and crappy album artwork. >_<

As for the songs…

1.KAMIKAZE: The song has a quiet start much like some of the songs of [Coll:set] where there’s a silence that’s only pierced by some unidentifiable sounds. [Coll:set]’s intros were slow, the true melody unknown, building up tension as the song slowly unraveled. KAMIKAZE gives off this feeling too but the sound of the song is quickly revealed with some nice riffs from Karyu. Queue the vocals…but it’s HIZUMI like you’ve never heard him before. There’s a very cool synthesized effect on his voice which makes for the unexpected twist in the song. It’s hollow and faded – very different to the chorus. The plain [though singable] chorus forms the bulk of the song and sounds familiar but HIZUMI’S processed voice in between almost completely makes up for it’s unorginality and repetitiveness. Those digitized vocals are probably what saved the song from going in one ear and out the other. Overall, the song not as a layered or thick a sound as their previous singles of BRILLIANT and Cocoon, making it rather simple…something’s lacking.

2. Scissors: While you thought D’esupa was done experimenting with digital sounds with KAMIKAZE, Scissors opens up with an upbeat, techno-tune. After this you’d expect such a thing to quickly fade out. Instead, it continues to underlie the entire song which consists of heavy and driving guitar and growl-goodness. Scissors reminds me a bit of Blood Stain Child. When I first listened to Blood Stain Child pulling off this combination of genres, I was in complete awe – D’espairsRay is no different. The song has varying pace and is greatly textured; the section [around 2:40] that slows down and darkens the mood to that of [Coll:set] especially shows this. Perhaps it is crazy but certainly it’s an awesome song!

3. BRILLIANT – Live 30 Dec. 07 - : What really makes this different from the studio track is that HIZUMI [just for fun and audience entertainment] adds in some growls and the crowds response to their performance can be heard through cheering. To me, the opening of the song sounds even better than the recording, charged with pure energy and power [maybe there's something wrong with my version of BRILLIANT...I always find myself having to crank up the volume to hear the song properly]. However, as the track goes on, this kinda dies down. In BRILLIANT, it’s the balance of the instruments and vocals that carry the song forward and HIZUMI’S voice doesn’t come across as well with more guitar and drums being able to be heard [but that's to be expected], dulling the energy a bit. His voice is a little rougher too…no complaints there, just saying. It’s probably from all the singing and screaming of the show. Oh yes, the song also ends in the typical concert dramatic fashion with lots of guitar strums that are allowed to reverberate and drawn out drum rolls.

D'espairsRay as seen in the KAMIKAZE PV

Honestly, I was expecting something more explosive from the first track especially with a title like KAMIKAZE. It was less than I expected and being the title track was the biggest let down [I can't get enough of robot Hizu though]. It’s funny though, how with D’espairsRay, as with the BRILLIANT single, I preffer the second song to the title track. Man, Scissors is just so different! But I can’t really complain since KAMIKAZE has me singing the chorus; Scissors makes me feel like jumping up and down in my seat like I’m on a sugar high and the live version of BRILLIANT just makes me smile.

Rating: ♫♫♫♫♪ – 4 and a half music notes out of 5.

Other Reviews:

• @4am
• @jrocknyc
• @Rockerica
• @Heroin(e)’s Blog

+First Impression: D’espairsRay

Top: New Logo; Bottom: Old Logo

^ The much discussed [and flamed] logo change of D’espairsRay ^

Official Site

Band Members

HIZUMI – Vocals

Karyu - Guitar

ZERO – Bass

TSUKASA - Drums

Everywhere Visual Kei related you go, “D’espairsRay” has to be mentioned – they simply dominate the scene and are often described as legends. You cannot not know the legends.

D'espairsRay

D’espairsRay was formed in 1999 by HIZUMI, Karyu, ZERO and TSUKASA and are one of the Visual few bands that’s had unchanged line-up since then. Despite the bands 9-year existence, they’ve only released two full-length albums; namely Coll:set in 2005 and Mirror in 2007. Although, they do have a small but fair share of singles and EPs that have been immensely popular and sold out through pre-orders. Besides having toured Japan a number of times, they’ve also visited Europe performing at the metal festival Wacken Open Air in Germany in 2006 and North America performing at the first Jrock Revolution festival held in Los Angeles in 2007.

While their track record doesn’t sound all too dazzling I’m telling you right now that D’espairsRay by far lives up to their legendary title.

Instead of ‘diving head first’ like I usually do when discovering new music [aka pick a track according to cool/interesting title], I worked my way backwards starting with their [then] latest single BRILLIANT. After reading the BRILLIANT review on Nemureru Mori, I decided to give it listen. Ironically, I listened to the second track of the single, Cocoon before the title track BRILLIANT. Cocoon blew me away with the strong bass booms, guitars, and growls in the beginning and as the song progressed I just became more and more impressed. While the chorus lacks the same force as the opening and other sections of the song, it’s just too addictive to listen to. There’s a deep and heavy sound that resonates from the very core of the song and it’s probably the reason why I prefer Cocoon over BRILLIANT.

BRILLIANT also has powerful start and HIZUMI’s voice carries wonderfully over the driving guitar and bass but are absolute perfection during the very brief moments when the guitar and bass pause to allow some simple drumming from TSUKASA and crisp and clear vocals from HIZUMI to take the spotlight. It’s done subtly, only occurring at the beginning of the song but a tactic that will definitely keep you listening right till the end. After listening to BRILLIANT it became apparent to me that D’espairsRay have a distinct sound as the two songs are somewhat similar.

D'espairsRay "Brilliant" Styling

While I thought the BRILLIANT single was good, it just got better with my next listening of their Mirror album which is brilliance [adversely meaning that the latter release, wasn't as good as the former]. Every single song on the album is amazing and the album is charged full of force and has, indeed as the band’s name already inclines, a dark mood and feel. That being said, the first four songs of Damned, Trickster, Mirror and Sixty Nine really left an impression on me. Yet even from those four I’d say Sixty Nine is my love. It’s typical Desupa with its kickstart but after the guitars, my god it’s a kick of sheer power that comes to accompany the chorus. HIZUMI’S vocals change quite a bit ranging from growls to clear, longer-held notes on a higher pitch meaning that the song itself changes to suit. This sends the mood of the song constantly swinging like a pendulum does from left to right. I also find that Sixty Nine has a dark and twisted humor to it, especially underlying the chorus. [Oh god, I really hope it's not that kind of humor...] Sixty Nine definitely beats BRILLIANT and Cocoon which become boring with not much between the refrain and chorus.

Other songs from Mirror I enjoy are Hollow, Closer to Ideal, the happier and slower of the album, Squall and Kaleidoscope which is much like the GazettE’s Chizuru. Now I just need to get my hands on KAMIKAZE…

…To sum it all up:

D’espairsRay = Pure Genius

[ ^ pun really not intended XD]

P.S. It’s been bothering me a bit so I have to ask: How the heck did Desupa go from the doom and gloom of the first picture to the white light and purplish-pink background of the next? ().o

+First Impression: LM.C (Lovely-Mocochang.com)

LM.C Logo

Official Webiste

Band Members:

Maya (ま～や): Vocals; in-studio Guitar
Aiji (アイジ): Guitar; in-studio Vocals

Support Band:

Hiko: Bass
Death-O: Drums
Jaykay: Keyboard
Denki-Man: VJ

Reading and discovering about Lovely-Mocochang.com has been more than just interesting for me. While having only two members for a band is something within itself; what’s even more intriguing is that these two members have a rather interesting background. Founder of LM.C, Maya was previously a support guitarist for 雅-miyavi- and Aiji, a former guitarist of Pierrot. Maya performed with LM.C while still with Miyavi but soon quit and with the disbandment of Aiji’s band Pierrot, they were left to focus on LM.C. In October 2006 the band released “Trailers (Gold)” and “Trailers (Silver)” which was their major label debut.

My first run in with LM.C was with their Sentimental Piggy Romance PV. An adorable PV, it’s entirely animated featuring a very cute little pig. Of course this being said, that means no band footage. The song and PV make for a perfect combination but honestly, I didn’t find much value in the song. But the sweet PV was enough to make me want to look into the band more.

LM.C: Maya and Aiji

I found I had the LIAR LIAR PV so watched that next and immediately my attention was caught by the bright, rainbow colours of the PV along with Maya’s initial appearance of: a top hat; black t-shirt and pink tie; cool jewellery; awesome gloves and not to mention that ridiculously large lollipop in hand 50 times bigger than the one stuck in his mouth.

Within 12 seconds of the PV’s start (after his rapid, giant-lollipop-waving) I thought, “Wow, this guy’s got personality…” and from there I just watched with this fascination and it was all the more confirmed when he started singing. The chorus of the song came in allowing me to hear more of Maya’s voice supported by some wonderful guitar and that’s probably what really hooked me.

Maya holds your attention with his theatricals throughout the PV while during the band scenes Aiji can be seen (behind Maya) nodding furiously, playing a black flame-decorated [sounds cliched but it's pretty cool] guitar. Between these are some other non-band-inclusive scenes that make the PV [again], sweet.

Maya as seen in the LIAR LIAR PV

Maya has got such personality as a performer and I just love his voice and singing style of quick bursts of vocals. An element of fun also carries through their PVs and songs. These, along with the band’s colourful image and punk [correct me if I'm wrong] edged sound are what give LM.C such charisma.

LM.C are a light-hearted band that very much have inspired me to look into similar [colourful, fun-filled] and oshare kei bands.

Visual Kei Explosion

Okay, there hasn’t really been one on the VK scene but certainly in my little Visual Kei world. About three weeks ago, I went to meet DaRC, a contributor to a local anime lifestyle magazine called Otaku. He writes reviews for the audio section which feature various genres and artists of Japanese Music from Visual Kei to Ska to J-pop, changing to suit the theme of the issue. He’s got quite a personality and…just a music conscious person who I believe knows what he’s talking about.

So after declaring my newly found love for Visual Kei on the Otaku forums, he offered to give me a boost in my collection…and boy did he give me music. Some I picked [what I already had but wanted more of: Vidoll, Girugamesh, The GazettE, Ayabie, exist†trace], some he gave me without question. Albeit not the latest, it’s a crap-load of songs to one artist [most of which I know nothing about; have never heard of or wanted to hear from]:

• 9mm Parabellum Bullet
• An Cafe
• Blood Stain Child
• The Brilliant Green
  
• D’espairsRay - On my “MUST LISTEN TO” list
• Dir en grey – On my “MUST LISTEN TO” list
• FAKE?
• HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR – Well known for doing the Ichirin no Hana, Bleach anime opening
• HIZAKI Grace Project – Versailles guitarist, Hizaki’s solo project
• Juliadoll
• Kagrra, – Requested
• Lareine – Versailles vocalist, Kamijo’s previous band
• LM.C
• MANNEQUIN
• Matenrou Opera
• MAXIMUM THE HORMONE
• Megamasso – Ex-guitarist of Ayabie, Ryouhei formed this band
• -OZ-
• PIERROT
• Renter en Soi
• Sugar – Requested
  
• The TRAX – Korean band
• Tokyo Mikaeru
• Versailles
• X Japan – They’re the legends…of course I have to listen to them

I think I got about…16GB worth? Including PVs. Overall, I’m a very happy Visual Kei fan. I have so much new music to listen to and it’s going to take me while to get through this list. I’m so excited…I think I’m gonna write some posts about my first impressions of those bands! ^_^

Asphyxia

Ah…well this place has been pretty neglected purely because I’ve discovered the joys of Vox and am currently blogging there with Asphyxia. No offense to wordpress, but Vox is really a lot easier to use in terms of layout and format of posts, especially for a neat-freak/perfectionist like me.

I think I’ll mostly end up doing album and single reviews and +Featured and +FYI articles here – most likely transferred from Asphyxia. PV reviews require lots of screencaps and since the placement of pictures annoys me most when posting here, I don’t think I’ll do it. XD

Anyways, so this is just to say check out my other Visual Kei/J-rock blog:

+Rei-view: [Album] STACKED RUBBISH – The GazettE (ガゼット)

Kai and Reita read the track list (excluding ART DRAWN BY VOMIT) of the STACKED RUBBISH album and for the hearing impaired it’s:

1. ART DRAWN BY VOMIT
2. AGONY
3. HYENA
4. BURIAL APPLICANT
5. Ganges ni akai bara (ガンジスに紅い薔薇)
6. REGRET
7. CALM ENVY
8. SWALLOWTAIL ON THE DEATH VALLEY
9. MOB 136 BARS
10. GENTLE LIE
11. FILTH IN THE BEAUTY
12. CIRCLE OF SWINDLER
13. CHIZURU (千鶴)
14. PEOPLE ERROR

Release Date:

• 4 July 2007 – Japan
• 24 August 2007 – Europe

STACKED RUBBISH album cover

Stacked Rubbish is an album made up of 4 of the band’s previous singles as well as 9 brand new tracks. If one were to read the numerous fan reviews on the album, one would find that not everyone really liked it initially. The singles were a great success, but the new tracks required hardcore fans to step out of their comfort zone and experience a new evolution in the band’s sound. It is really just that…The band is moving forward and their sound is developing with them, which to be honest is the hallmark of a truly excellent band. The album contains a nice variety of pace, and some tracks even fit into different rock genres. This diversity is something that The Gazette has always excelled at, but in Stacked Rubbish this was taken to the next level. The skill required to pull off this much diversity in a single album, yet still maintain a coherent feel from beginning to end, can’t just be attributed to the band.

Stacked Rubbish is a great step forward for this legendary band, and if it is indicative of things to come, then expect even more excellence from them in the future. Get this album! It is one of those instant classics that everyone needs a copy of regardless of your musical tastes. Yes it is THAT powerful!!

From Otaku Issue 15: New Enemies, Old Friends Bleach (South African Anime Lifestyle Magazine); Audio section by DaRC

Contrast the above to reviews, not on STACKED RUBBISH, but rather Guren (with people mentioning how it was a step up from the ‘disaster’ that was STACKED RUBBISH with the overused female vocals) and you get a little bit of a confused Gazetto fan [aka me]. I was quite convinced by the Otaku review and honestly, with the naivety of “The-GazettE-can-do-no-wrong”, I decided to listen to the album so I could draw my own conclusions…

ART DRAWN BY VOMIT: At my first listen, this song [along with AGONY], just made me raise my eyebrows. The GazettE doing hip-hop? Seriously? My lord, why the hell would they want to head down that path!?!? And from this first track I might already be getting annoyed with the female vocals. Thank goodness it’s only 1-2 minutes long.

AGONY: I’d actually say I like this song if it weren’t for the disc scratching which just reminds me too much of ART DRAWN BY VOMIT. The last straw is towards the end of the song with all the scratching between Ruki’s “Yeah”s. Call me crazy, but I was somewhat reminded of UVERworld (but it would be UVERworld’s heavier songs like Nitro or Burst) probably because of the mixture of heavy guitar, disc scratching and rap-like vocals. But unlike The GazettE, UVERworld succeeds at this sound.

HYENA: Honestly, this song is a relief after the GazettE’s failed attempts at hip-hop. The first single on the album (hence I’d heard it before I listened to the STACKED RUBBISH album. Heck, I’d heard the whole of Guren before I listened to STACKED RUBBISH. XD), it’s a solid and powerful track that’s consistent in sound with none too much of the experimental and mixed sounds of ART DRAWN BY VOMIT or AGONY. This is one of my absolute favourite songs by The GazettE and the fact that I never tire of it is probably due to the combination of amazing sounds. There are some really great guitar riffs and the guitars combined with Kai’s drumming, make for a song that is charged full of energy. On top of this is the occasional yell/scream from Ruki that just adds to HYENA’s intense sound. It’s heavy but not too violent – just enough to wet the appetite of those that like driving guitar and screaming vocals in moderation.

The GazettE as seen during their BURIAL APPLICANT/ STACKED RUBBISH era

BURIAL APPLICANT: Is a single off the album and so naturally a PV was made. Again, I knew of the song (through the PV) before listening to the whole album and it was only after this that I noticed the disc scratching in the beginning. But it’s not overdone or blatant so I don’t have problem with it. Initially, I didn’t like the track all too much – it failed to dazzle me as much HYENA [or REGRET] and the bits when Ruki started screaming like crazy were not to my comfort. But overtime, I’ve come to appreciate the song with the juxtaposition of the intensity of that section and hauntingly lulling vocals that occur in beginning of the song and before the last chorus.

Ganges ni akai bara (ガンジスに紅い薔薇): Reminds me of their older work, like Tokyo shinjuu and Zakurogata no yuuutsu. And just like the the two aforementioned songs, this track is average. It’s not that Ganges ni akai bara is a bad song, but just that it is easily forgettable especially when stuck between BURIAL APPLICANT and REGRET…

REGRET: The second single found on STACKED RUBBISH; at first listen, REGRET will not astound but with more plays it seeps it’s way into your heart with a sentimental quality that I’d attribute to the guitars and vocals. The opening starts with only guitars that are simple but effective with one riff first heard on the left, another on the right and once again on the left before joining together. The guitar-only stereo effect is used one more time with the next notable part of the song being the guitar solo. Besides the solo itself, I like that it is shared – Uruha starts the solo off with Aoi then joining in a few seconds later, making for even more passionate and rich sounds. That is what makes REGRET so amazing to me. Overall, it’s a comfortable, nicely-paced song that makes me went to listen to it over and over again.

CALM ENVY: Is a softer, slower track of the album that marks the return of the female vocals. They’re not irritating but I find that they don’t add to the song so why have them there in the first place? But it’s another that can be labeled average and will be left to gather dust.

SWALLOWTAIL ON THE DEATH VALLEY: I loved the drums, feedback and guitar for the first 17 seconds of the song and then within a second, my hopes were dashed with the female vocals. Really they’re just so corny and killed what would have been a great rock n’ roll track for me.

MOB 136 BARS: This is a STACKED RUBBISH song that I can straight out say I liked. The opening is great and it is even more hardcore than BURIAL APPLICANT and HYENA with shouts, growls and screams throughout. The pure vocals of 00:55 once again, make for a nice contrast and it carries through wonderfully over the fierce drums and guitars. I’m quite disappointed at the length of the song though. And take note: like not love.

GENTLE LIE: …GENTLE LIE = Sumire remake – the jazzy piano (-_-;)

FILTH IN THE BEAUTY: The third single found on the album; the beginning of the song is very misleading and has lead many a listener to go, “WTF!?” since female vocals open with a J-pop rendition. But as FILTH IN THE BEAUTY steadily progresses, it becomes apparent that the song [and band] is far from going pop with some wonderfully heavy sections that are pure metal. The PV perfectly demonstrates this as I’ve never seen anyone move with a song as the Gazeguys do: simultaneous head-banging…which is especially awesome during the solo. XD There are female vocals that do some scaling in the background which I’d usually find to be irritating but the song just has this brilliance about it that my annoyance with them becomes completely irrelevant.

CIRCLE OF SWINDLER: Oh look, another song I quite enjoy! However; it’s similar [too similar] to MOB 136 BARS. I’d probably get confused between the two it weren’t for those distinguishable vocals of pureness in MOB 136 BARS. MOB is also more aggressive than CIRCLE OF SWINDLER but one doesn’t notice that much. And once again, I was disappointed with a measly 2:58 for the song and a rather abrupt ending. But I do commend the GazettE on the guitar solo of 1:26 and bass section that follows immediately after. That makes for a great listen.

CHIZURU (千鶴): Is another recognisable song from the GazettE, so much so that it has been used as the theme song for a Korean movie called, The Apartment. In the PV clips are featured from the movie. I can’t say that I’m as attached to CHIZURU as much as REGRET or HYENA, but it is an amazing song that’s both passionate and hauntingly beautiful. It has a dark feeling similar to BURIAL APPLICANT but, unlike BURIAL APPLICANT, possesses an emotional quality that compells you to listen.

PEOPLE ERROR: The last track of the album, it’s a beautiful instrumental piece consisting solely of piano. It’s a gentle song that leaves sorrow and a sense of yearning in your heart. It’s very much wistful and I can’t help but be moved by the soothing melody.

So…what do I think of STACKED RUBBISH as a whole? I can say that I agree with both views. The album has many sounds and indeed, there might just be something for everyone. While it makes for an interesting listen, to me, it’s maybe just too diverse. It doesn’t work. Why? Because with the previous singles of “REGRET“, “FILTH IN THE BEAUTY” and “HYENA” the other songs of STACKED RUBBISH pale in comparison. There’s a sound difference between the two – the singles spell amazing while the other songs on the album come off as weak. The singles are on a whole other level. Also, the other STACKED RUBBISH tracks are unoriginal and unmemorable (excluding AGONY and ART DRAWN BY VOMIT which won’t leave me the heck alone…)

In my opinion, MOB 136 BARS and CIRCLE OF SWINDLER should have just been stuck together to form one track and perhaps PEOPLE ERROR could have placed in the middle of the album for a nice interlude. But thinking about that now, it’s quite cliché and I think the GazettE wanted to avoid that with this song.

While many fans, including me, may have [somewhat] been disheartened with STACKED RUBBISH, hopes were redeemed with the release of Guren which has, for the most part, been highly praised. Which goes to show, that every band has it’s ups and downs.

+FYI: Visual Kei

♪♫Visual Kei ♫♪

(ヴィジュアル系)

♦Written by: Reitsu

♦Last edited on: 13-07-2008

♦Sources:

- Otaku Issue 05: Mecha Madness (South African Anime Lifestyle Magazine), Visual Kei article written by DaRC

- THE J-ROCK SAGA!

- Jrock & the Visual Kei 2.0

- Wikipedia

Introduction

To understand exactly what “Visual Kei” or “VK” is, “J-rock” would be the appropriate place to start. J-rock is a convenient way (and therefore it is most commonly used) to refer to Japanese rock music. The same applies with Japanese pop being shortened to “J-pop”.

It can be said that Visual Kei is a sub-genre or sub-culture of J-rock. Much the same way “emotional music” developed the “emo” culture, so too did Visual Kei become a movement in Japan and around the world.

(ヴィジュアル系 - “vijuaru kei”)

The meaning of “Visual” is obvious where as “Kei” (pronounced ‘Kay’) is more difficult to define. It’s meaning is debatable and there are varying translations. The literal translation has been said to be “string” and from this other words that have been mentioned are “lineage” and “system”. “Group”, “type” and “influence” have also been derived. However “style” seems to be most agreed upon as many sources use the term “Visual Style” to describe Visual Kei.

Image

Visual Kei is aptly named as artists that fall under this category place great importance on their image; perhaps even more so than their music. The image presented by VK artists is elaborate and extreme with striking make-up, eccentric hair and flamboyant clothing leading to an androgynous look. Because of this emphasis on femininity, many exposed to Visual Kei for the first time mistake male members as being female – musicians in the genre consist largely of bands with an all-male line-up and few females. Cross-dressing is also a common occurrence.

Visual Kei band, Versailles

While one may argue that Western musicians pay attention to appearance too, it is not to the same extent as Visual artists. Each band has a specific look that has been carefully cultivated to be uniquely them with a small twist thrown in to separate them from other VK bands. But within this, each member has their own style that still more is different to other members but does not compromise the bands overall trademark look and feel. After establishing this, bands experiment with their look with hair, make-up and clothing often changing from PV (promotional music video) to PV or album to album.

Some bands have a vibrant and colourful look with vividly highlighted hair and brightly coloured nail polish while others are more gothic; wearing dark make-up and heavy chains.

Left: Yumehito; guitarist of Ayabie.

Right: Naoto, bassist of exist†trace. exist†trace is an all-female act.

It is initially because of the dramatic appearance that these bands hold, that draws people’s attention and piques their curiosity rather than the music.

It has been said that Visual Kei was influenced by the glam-rock and punk genres. The popularity of the Japanese movement has also lead to further sub-cultures and sub-genres; respectively “Gothic Lolita” and “Oshare Kei” for example and there are several magazines that deal with the music and fashion involved with Visual Kei. Arena 37°C, Fool’s Mate and Shoxx (ShockWave) are such examples and regularly feature photos, interviews and articles on various J-rock bands and artists.

Most artists on the Visual Kei circuit start off as indie and are from the underground scene, slowly but surely building up their fan base. Often, the story is that the band is discovered by a major record label and soon after signing or achieving mainstream success, discard their Visual image in order to be more widely accepted. Many fans can be lost due to this change but the number of new fans gained usually largely outweighs the loss.

Music

Visual Kei encompasses a large variety of genres from heavy metal to punk rock to electronic pop but what unites all Visual musicians is that it is almost impossible to classify them into one genre. The same way artists experiment with their image, so too to do they with their music. Many genres are explored but most likely you will find that a band will have a characteristic sound or two that carries through a song no matter what genre.

Artists often, but not always, fuse different types of genres to create something that is new and unique. If not a complete fusion then there is the subtle influence of another genre or an underlying sound throughout, hidden amongst a multitude of instruments and other sounds. With little to no warning, songs can also easily jump from one genre to another with a rapid change of tempo, vocal style and rhythm.

Singles (CDs usually containing a single and about two to three other songs) and EPs (extended plays; a mini-album to put it roughly) are released more often than full length albums and unlike with popular Western artists, the single songs will not always be found on these albums. Singles may also include an extra DVD disc containing a PV. Special editions of albums and live performance DVDs are commonly released such as a European edition of a live DVD with English subtitles for example.

Solo and side projects are also common, especially when a band is on hiatus. Members split temporarily from the band to pursue other sounds that their band perhaps does not deal with. They creat a new image and sound, sometimes releasing a few singles or a whole album and, depending on the success, projects can last a few months or continue on even after the member has returned to their original band. Solo careers can sometimes be created from this but more often than not, they’re simply for creative purposes.

History

Founded in the late 1980s, Visual Kei was started and pioneered by the band, X (X Japan). X was far from popular with normal Japanese society as their heavy sound (metal was not yet mainstream) and odd, striking image were not acceptable at the time. However with the help of Yoshiki’s (Drummer, Pianist and leader of X Japan) newly created label Extasy Records, the band released their first album; soon developed a following too large to ignore and Visual Kei grew.

The legendary X Japan; formerly known as "X"

The now legendary X Japan inspired many bands to follow suit and some of the bands at the forefront of the era include Luna Sea, L’Arc-En-Ciel and Malice Malizer and in the 1990s, the popularity of the emerging genre sky-rocketed.

Yet, over the years, Visual Kei has been dealt some heavy blows with the disbandment of X Japan in 1997 and death of lead guitarist hide(pronounced “hee-deh”) in 1998; the break-up of many more popular bands and still more with some of the genre’s renowned dropping their Visual look. But Visual Kei has also grown and developed. Artists continuously pushing the boundaries of image and music and world-wide awareness pave the way for what the media has dubbed, “Neo-Visual Kei“.

Fans and Following

Fans of Visual Kei consist largely of female teenagers and young adults but it does not mean that it is limited to this audience only. However; this may explain why fans service, one form being on stage interaction between band members (hugging and kissing for example), is done for entertainment and is much enjoyed by fans.

The genre has developed a world-wide following and not only do artists take nation-wide tours of Japan but also Europe, America and Asia with countries such as Germany, France, Finland, UK, Korea, Taiwan, and even Chile and Brazil in South America. This has lead to even further attempts to raise awareness and boost international marketing with the establishment of many organisations dealing with J-rock. Examples include record label, CLJ Records based in Germany; Jrock Revolution, a J-rock and Visual Kei music festival created and organised by Yoshiki of X Japan (the first festival was held Los Angeles) and Tainted Reality in Pennsylvania, an organisation that runs the Tainted Reality Internet Radio Network(a J-Rock internet radio station) and manages the US operations of several Visual Kei bands such as BLOOD.

Visual artists received an alarming amount of attention from fans and often boxes labeled with band members’ or an artist’s name will be placed at the venue (smaller venues usually being “live houses”) where the live performance (appropriately called “Lives” which function differently to concerts) is being held. This is done for shows both inside and outside of Japan. These boxes are intended for gifts brought by fans, which range from clothing to an item their favourite artists is currently collecting. Information on what gift would be most appropriate is easily accessible as things such as cologne used, preferred cigarette, favourite clothing brand, shoe size and even ring size are listed in an artist’s profile. Fans seem to shower musicians with gifts as several artists have said that they’ve never had to shop for clothing.

Not only are fans fanatical about the artists themselves, but the music too and non-Japanese speaking fans will often try to find the meaning of the lyrics. This too can easily be found as many websites translate lyrics into English and Romaji. The latter is used to learn lyrics and the pronunciation of the words which may be done especially in preparation for a live show as fans can then sing along in Japanese.

Conclusion

Visual Kei is a rich and exciting world with the outrageous looks presented by bands and the unique sounds produced, it truly is a feast for the senses. It seems as if artists pull off this crazy combination effortlessly when in fact a fair amount of work is put into both image and sound. Concerning image, small things such as jewellery, accessories and even coloured contacts are often used and while as single items go generally go unnoticed, they add to the overall look. Sound is also paid special attention to and if musicians have the necessary means, will even travel to America for the mastering of an album or single.

The same way Visual Kei has changed since the days of X Japan, so too will it evolve in coming years. Already the genre is on the brink of a revolution with the arrival of “Neo-Visual Kei” and one can but only wait and see what changes this will bring.

*Videos

A piece by International Music Feed briefly explaining J-rock and Visual Kei within 5 minutes. Includes, input from fans and interviews with various artists. Based around the Jrock Revolution festival in Los Angeles.

Related:

- IMF’s “Local Feed” Tokyo: Visual Kei and Cosplay

- IMF’s “Local Feed” Tokyo: Lolita Fashion

- IMF’s “Local Feed” Tokyo: Harajuku Bridge

- IMF’s “Local Feed” Tokyo: Takeshita Street

- IMF’s “Local Feed” Tokyo: J-Pop Cafe