I know you've missed our crazy conversations on random aspects of jrock, so here's our latest antics over AIM, entitled GERALD AND MOONSONG TRY TO GO TO THE GLAY LIVE.

Moonsong: I WANNA SEE GLAYYYYYYYYYYYY
Moonsong: T_____________T
Moonsong: tickets go on sale 2/9 >_>
Gerald: x_x how do we go about getting them?
Moonsong: *has no idea* x.x;;;
Moonsong: there's a phone numbe
Moonsong: r
Moonsong: (run r run!)
Gerald: .....that's no good XD
Gerald: person on phone: *JAPANESE*
Gerald: me: ..........
Moonsong: <_< well don't you speak it yet? XD
Gerald: i can't understand people on the phone
Gerald: XD
Gerald: or on loudspeakers
Gerald: or anything that's not clear
Moonsong: souuuuuuuuuuu
Moonsong: just say
Moonsong: WE WANT GLAY!
Moonsong: XD
Gerald: oh ok!!!
Gerald: *will try that*
Moonsong: *giggle*
Gerald: WE WANT GLAY!
Gerald: WE WANT GLAY!
Gerald: *is dragged off*
Moonsong: >_> but it's over the phone
Moonsong: they can't drag you off
Moonsong: ask to talk to takuro
Moonsong: then babble some english at him
Gerald: ok
Gerald: *ahem*
Gerald: TERU
Gerald: RAINY DAYS I HEAR THE THUNDER
Moonsong: takuro: SO YOU ALL FEEL MY STRENGTH OF TENDER!
Gerald: >.>
Gerald: where did you come from
Moonsong: <_< maybe we shouldn't go
Gerald: XDDDDDDDDDD
Moonsong: *would be afraid*
Gerald: tekko: T_T
Moonsong: <_< Awwwwwwwwwww *hands him a crooked sunflower*
Gerald: tekko: o.o
Gerald: tekko: MY FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEENNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Moonsong: we need to show the entire cast of pata pan the script
Gerald: *dies*
Gerald: if they could understand it
Gerald: XD
Moonsong: that's the beauty of it!
Moonsong: they'll probably love it!
Gerald: .............................
Gerald: teru: what is a...a P-L-A-N-T?
Moonsong: takuro: it doesn't matter! i'll use it in the next song!
Moonsong: takuro: how do you spell again?

It's been announced that Miyavi will be performing at this year's A-kon in Dallas, Texas in June. The official A-kon page doesn't have anything on it yet about him but I imagine they will update it soon. A-kon is the anime convention that Duel Jewel has been playing at for 2 years, and Camino also played there last year.

An extremely short update on Tak Matsumoto of B'z, who is apparently getting his third custom-made signature Les Paul from Gibson Guitars. The article is in Japanese but there are some nice pictures of the guitar.

Thanks to Keen for the info.

[1] GENSOU NO HANA
The song begins with simple acoustic guitar leading into the understated verse (actually the opening reminds me of a Gackt song, but probably just because Gackt has been so obsessed with acoustic guitar lately). Drums, guitar, bass, synthesizer...everything is added one by one to create a "layered" effect that gradually builds the verse up into a gentle tapestry of instruments weaving back and forth between each other. The whole entirety of the verse is very seamless and flowing, with smooth chords in all the instruments and echo effects with the underlying synthesizer that create the illusion of floating.

Atsushi's voice here isn't what I'm used to from Buck-Tick songs, but then again, this whole song isn't your regular old Buck-Tick fare. It's really quite a surprise to hear him singing this lighter, more airy song as opposed to Buck-Tick's usually heavy, dark songs, and he pulls it off well. His vibrato is a bit weak in placesand he sounds a little out of breath sometimes, as if he's purposely holding his voice back, but all in all, it doesn't detract.

The chorus is what really made me sit up and take notice. It reminds me a little bit of Pierrot's Kowareteiku Kono Sekai de chorus, but a little bit more elegant, more refined. If the verses were where Atsushi's voice floated on top of the weaving instruments in the background, the chorus meshes all the layers together into one. It makes me think of climbing up a hill and then reaching the top and seeing the sun rising (or something poetic like that). The background vocals are a nice touch, especially in the bridge section after the chorus, where they are overlayed on the instrumentation with a echoey choral effect.

What said when I listened to this song for the first time (I heard it on the plane) was "....THIS IS BUCK-TICK??" I haven't heard any of their new stuff in a while so it took me by surprise. This definitely is not a "usual" Buck-Tick song, and as it's good for a band to depart from style once in a while and do something fresh, I approve.

[2] NOCTURNE ~RAIN SONG~
If you're not too much of a fan of Gensou no Hana, don't give up on this single yet. I actually can't decide if I like Gensou or Nocturne better - both of them are excellent songs, but in entirely different ways. Nocturne is much more "Buck-Tick" in style and sound, but yet a wilder and jazzier song that most of their previous works, in a minor key to balance out Gensou's major, happier tune.

The beginning of the song is entirely synth samples, with creative use of sounds to create an audio effect that evokes the image of falling raindrops in the listener's mind, and the rest of the song is more electronic synth than actual instruments. As with Gensou no Hana, I am really impressed with Buck-Tick's ability to use understated instrumentation to give an effective performance. Again Imai (I assume it is him) comes in with acoustic guitar in the verses, but it's much more of a Spanish flamenco-esque style here than in the previous song.

I would describe this song as "mysterious," a mix of exotic-sounding melodies and instrumentation that sound at once Far Eastern, Arabic, and Spanish all at once, with Atsushi's quiet, yet intense vocals on top for an amazingly eerie but brilliant 5 minutes of music. There doesn't seem to be a true chorus in this song, but the parts between the verses where Atsushi almost whispers "ba la la ba ba da da" with a ghostly chorus in the background are my favorites. And then interspersed once or twice throughout the song is an instrumental crescendo that brings the basslines into full thundering force and a wailing, eerie vocal effect above them.

I think I actually like Nocturne better than the actual single title track. It's a very rich audio experiment that succeeds in captivating listeners with a tantalizing, not-quite-there sense of fleeting melody.

[3] GENSOU NO HANA (LIVE)
Track 3 on the single is simply a live version of the song. Atsushi is in tune. This is good.

Single Information
GENSOU NO HANA
Release date: 12.03.03
Catalog #: BVCR-19615
Price: 1000円

UPCOMING RELEASES (mm.dd.yy format)

AIKAWA NANASE:
02.18.04 album 7 Seven

BLOOD:
02.07.04 mini album BLOOD (01.06.04 internet preorder)

DIR EN GREY:
03.17.04 single The Final

GACKT:
02.25.04 best of album The Sixth Day

GLAY:
01.24.03 single Toki no Shizuku (c/ws include acoustic version of However)

L'ARC~EN~CIEL:
go check out the new flash intro and pictures on the official site!
02.04.04 single Ready Steady Go
03.03.04 single Hitomi no Juunin
03.31.04 album Smile

LOVE PSYCHEDELICO:
02.25.04 album Untitled

PLASTIC TREE:
01.21.04 single Yuki Hotaru

PSYCHO LE CEMU:
02.18.04 single Omoide Aruki

TAKUI:
02.25.04 album Power to the Music (song samples at takui.com)

Any Lareine fans/Applause Record band fans, Inertia has posted an excellent live report at her Live Journal about their last 2003 multi-band show last night. Go read and comment!

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/asia/story/0,4386,227490,00.html

It's just a generalized article about how Japanese culture is growing popular overseas, but I thought you all would be interested in seeing that at the very bottom, they're comparing Glay with Kinki Kids as a boy band. >.>

I know Glay's considered more "pop" lately, but...boy band? o.o

I'm back from Hong Kong by the way.

Since no one has written one and since I am one of the world's die-hard Laruku fans, I decided to step up to the plate *hides from other unreviewed albums*

I divided this list into two parts. For those of you who aren't Laruku fans, the band has had two drummers: Sakura, who was booted from the band in 1997 for drug possession, and Yukihiro, the present drummer. The first part of this list covers up to 1997, or the first four albums, and the second part are the second four albums up to Real in 2000.

This is meant to be a list that does not include the band's singles. Songs like Dive to Blue and Stay Away are known to almost every jrock fan, but it's the gems hidden away inside the albums that really makes a band. These "must hear" songs are album-only releases that I think deserve to be heard.

[1] SHUTTING FROM THE SKY
Dune: track 1
You'll notice that many of these songs are the first track on the album, and for good reason. Laruku are masters at song placement, and I can't think of one album where the opening song doesn't immediately grab you and pull you into the music. Shutting From the Sky is one of the greatest examples that I can think of. The song begins with Sakura's drums and Tetsu's bass joined in a throbbing rhythm, backing Ken's guitar as he leads the way into one of the most awesome guitar introductions I've ever heard, and it just gets better from there. Hyde's voice is untrained, raw, but just perfect for the song. Laruku's talent, even on this early album, shines (even though I still don't know what "shutting from the sky" is, except that it has something to do with claustrophobia >.>)

[2] DUNE
Dune: track 6
The title track for this album, and a more apt title track I don't think could have been written. In keeping with the "spiritual feel" of Laruku's early days, the beginning synth adds a touch of delicate mystery to the underlying bass and Sakura's cymbals before the melody takes off into the mid-tempo feel that most early Laruku songs have. Hyde's vocal performance on here is perhaps the best out of all the songs in the album. Listen especially for his great low range and the breathed "oi!" right after the long bridge section. I would have to say that I would most describe this song as "under accompanied" - with everyone playing, it still seems sparse instrumentally, but that only adds to its appeal. (FYI, there is an album promo PV for this song and it's so bad that you should get it just to watch it for the cheese factor XD)

[3] IN THE AIR
Tierra: track 1
Only one album later, L'Arc~en~Ciel has matured tremendously, and you can hear it in Ken's opening guitar solo to In the Air and Hyde's stronger, more certain voice as he comes in above. As opposed to the slightly understated, indies-feel accompaniment of Dune, the instrumentation in In the Air has the feel of a band that has doing this for ages and tremendously sure of their talent. In the Air is a simple song in a grand style ("You fly over the earth/Can't you see I am tied to the ground?"), and Hyde's marvelous vocals especially give me goose bumps as he sings "sora e ochite yuku/soko nashi no sora e to fukaku ochite yuku..."

[4] HITOMI NI UTSURU MONO
[Reflected in my Eyes]
Tierra: track 9
If I took a poll of Laruku fans, I would bet that 6 out of 10 people have never heard of this song. This is my favorite L'Arc~en~Ciel song. The first time I heard it I was completely blown away by the gorgeous piano, the solemn bass drum and soft chimes, Hyde's eerie, heartwrenching lyrics that say so much in such a few words. The song itself, written about the passing of fall and the beginning of winter, captures the eternity of a lost season with painful regret, but yet with a hope that someday time will return to the way it was. This song is almost entirely piano, with very little accompaniment except some drums and bass at the very end. I also gained a new respect for Ken after discovering that he wrote this.

[5] WHITE FEATHERS
Tierra: track 10
The follow-up track to Hitomi ni Utsuru Mono is as different from the previous song as night and day. Tierra has the theme of "wings," and White Feathers can almost be seen as a sister song to In the Air. It is a softer, slower song but yet with the same burning intensity of In the Air, and it does a very good job of invoking the feeling of flying by just Sakura's rhythmic drums and Ken's chord patterns. And as always, Hyde is incredible.

[6] STILL I'M WITH YOU
Heavenly: track 1
Moving away from their mysterious, spiritual past, Heavenly finds Laruku dabbling into pop experimentation. And again, track 1 on this album is not to be missed. A catchy, bouncy pop tune that just has a lot of joy and hope in it, Still I'm With You is one of those eternal Laruku classics that puts you in a good mood. Listen in this song for Tetsu's bass - Heavenly is the first album, in my opinion, where Tetsu's bass talent really begins to emerge.

[7] GARASU DAMA
[Glass Ball]
Heavenly: track 4
Another departure from what you'd expect from L'Arc~en~Ciel. Garasu Dama is the first of what I like to call their "water songs," and it starts off with ocean noises and echoing eighth notes from Ken's guitar, combining with Hyde's quiet vocals, wrapping you in the music and plunging you quietly into the ocean, suspended in the water. The song fades away altogether at 2 minutes, giving you a half second of silence, and then does an incredible 180 degree turn, morphing into one of the most magnificent choruses that the band has written to date. In the "Kiss Me Heavenly Deadly" live, the darkened stage floods with light as the chorus begins, and I couldn't think of a more appropriate way to express the two extremes of this song.

[8] SHIZUKA NO UMI DE
[In the Ocean of Silence]
Heavenly: track 9
People apparently have a tendency to skip this song on the album, probably because it starts off so quietly that you can't hear anything for a while and get bored. I encourage everyone, if you have this album or if/when you buy it, to stay patient for a few minutes, because this is another Laruku gem. Another "water song," but grander, infnitely more beautiful than Garasu Dama (and that's hard to beat), Shizuka no Umi de is one of those epic balladic songs that every good band has a few of. There's lots of synth used in this song to combine the mystery of the waves with the feel of space, and the guitar here actually reminds me a lot of Shutting from the Sky. The chorus of "you would dance/ I feel heavenly" is a Laruku classic.

[9] I WISH
True: track 9
Children's songs on a Laruku album? Incredibly, this is pretty much what I Wish is. If you've ever heard and loved songs like Glay's I'm In Love, Lareine's Runrun March, or Penicillin's Limelight, you'll love I Wish as well. Complete with a synth organ, tambourine, brass band, and children's chorus as background vocals, the bouncy beat and cheerful lyrics are sure to bring a BIG smile to your face! ^_^/ ("Ring bell through the window/I wish you smile for me/Sing song all together") This works very well as a Christmas song.

[10] DEAREST LOVE
True: track 10
One of my favorite Laruku ballads, Dearest Love is the last song on True, which is the last album that Sakura drums for the band. There are so many layers to this deceptively simple song that I couldn't do justice to all of them if I tried to describe it. Ken gives one of his finest guitar performances to date here, and Hyde showcases his falsetto really nicely during the chorus. There is also an incredibly beautiful violin/guitar duet in the middle of the song that would move even the most adamant ballad-hater. Despite the beauty of it, it really is a very painful song, and I wouldn't advise listening to it if you're in a bad mood. Regardless of who Tetsu and Hyde wrote this song for, you can feel the raw emotion in the music and the lyrics that signifies that this song really is something "true."

"don't think about the end that is coming/it has already passed.
dearest love, everything high in the sky/is burning."

Look for the second half of "Must Hear L'Arc~en~Ciel" soon!