8 posts tagged “d'espairsray”

I've been neglecting writing about new releases for some time now, mostly because I've been busy with real life work and spending my remaining free time translating for my other blog.  But after all it's a better use of my time and there's more interest there anyway. ^^;  So right now I'm honestly just procrastinating because I'm sick of doing my crazy amounts of Japanese homework (I've been at it for most of today, slogging my way through kanji study, an essay revision, 50+ sentence translations, and a four page reading comprehension worksheet). _|¯¯|O  Why are my Japanese sensei always so insanely ambitious?  Admittedly though it does me a lot of good, since if I were allowed to just sit on my ass and breeze through the class the lack of pressure from constantly having assignments due and needing to mentally prepare for class so I won't come out of there shamefully picking up the scraps of my shattered self-esteem would mean I'd never improve.

Hm, well anyway there's a bunch of releases coming out soon from artists like ScReW, D, and heidi., although so far none of the previews except maybe those for heidi.'s new album 'Panorama' have particularly struck me.  In fact, the pv for D's new single 'Tightrope' was pretty disappointing.  The song is alright, but rather mediocre and unmemorable despite its heaviness which wins some points with me, but the worst for me was the pv.  It just looks washed out and not very well put together from a cinematographic perspective, not to mention the obvious, overdone, and trite imagery.  I think it's the most awkward pv I've ever seen from D...a lot of the members' posing is so stiff and the scenes with Asagi as the "dog" and the man flailing in "fear" against the fence are just awkward to watch.  The whole idea just isn't very original and certainly not executed as well as it could be...the whole thing comes off as being tacky and cheesy rather than aggressive or sexy.

However, D'espairsRay's new single 'Final Call' is catchy and fun, and the pv is edgy with high contrasts between the vibrant colours, light and dark.  The line "Why can't you love me, baby?!" really makes you want to sing along, as dorky as that would be. : )  The song is upbeat and somewhat similar in sound and composition to 'REDEEMER', but has a sultrier feel to it that's played up in the pv's imagery and the lyrics.  I'll be translating it as soon as I get my hands on the kanji.

On another note, I just have to say, if I wasn't already decided on getting the GazettE's DIM SCENE Final DVD, then for sure these tantalizing, gorgeous photos would be more than enough to convince me! *o*  I mean, just WOW...I have no words!

Last night I saw D'espairsRay live at the Kyoto Muse stop of Tour 2009 'Psychedelic Parade'!  D'espa were excellent as always and it was a super fun, awesome show!  D'espairsRay is a band I've always wanted to see not only because I'm a big fan of their music, but cause from their DVDs and whatnot you can see how good their performance is...they sound even better than their recordings live!  

Once I entered the venue, I got the black version of the tour shirt, then put my bag down and found a good place in the middle of the crowd toward the right side, so I ended up being on Zero's side of the stage.  : )  When the band came out they were wearing fairly simple, mostly black clothes, and with the exception of Hizumi (who was brunette), were all sporting rather blonde hair.  I was surprised how short and light-coloured Tsukasa and Zero's hair was, but they both look good with it.  

They started off with 'Lizard' then played 'Redeemer' and soon after 'Reddish', which made me ecstatic because it's one of my favourites by them and I was really hoping they'd play it.  D'espa did nearly all of the 'REDEEMER' album during the show, even 'Paradox 5', which I was afraid they might not include since it's rather different from their other ballads or harder songs, and I wasn't sure how they'd incorporate it or how it'd play it out live, but it was great!  The atmosphere during the song was hypnotic and swept you up into the melody.  Other songs that were a pleasant surprise were 'Damned', 'Trickst☆r', and 'Mirror' from their previous album.  As I suspected would happen, they ended the live on a bright, high note with 'Yozora' and 'Heaven's Color'.  I personally wasn't a huge fan of 'Yozora' when I heard the new album, but it was ok live...I suppose when you're in the middle of things and the mood is right, it's a fun, nice song, but I'd take their dark stuff over it any day. >_>

The first encore included 'Hollow' and.....'Subliminal'! \^o^/  'Subliminal' made everyone go crazy as soon as they heard the voices and pumping electronic intro.  Though I enjoy their recent work too, it makes me so happy when they play their older material, since it's what first made me fall in love with the band.  The second encore was 'Kamikaze'.

During the MCs there was some funny banter between the band members, though Hizumi was usually rather brief and didn't pause for long before getting on with the next song.  The other members' individual MCs were amusing...I think Tsukasa and Karyu didn't really know what to say, so they just came out with silly stuff. :D  They all said they like Kyoto <3.  When Tsukasa was telling everyone to get even more heated up and excited he was like, "Yes, use Yatsuhashi Power!*...Tea Power!", trying (and sort of failing) to think of things related to Kyoto, which made everyone laugh. XD

Here's the full setlist:
Lizard
REDEEMER
TRICKST☆R
Reddish〜DIVA version〜
Dears
SIXty∞NINe
琥珀
Lost in re:birth
MASQUERADE
BRILLIANT
Subliminal
MIЯROR
PARADOX5
DESERT
R.E.M-冬の幻聴-
Bullet
HORIZON
夜空
HEAVEN'S COLOR

1st Encore:
LOVE PARADE (cover session w/o Hizumi)

2nd Encore:
Hollow
Cocoon
「浮遊した理想」

3rd Encore:
KAMIKAZE

* Yatsuhashi are triangular shaped traditional Japanese sweets made from a flat kind of mochi (soft pounded rice) wrapped around various flavoured fillings.  They're a local specialty here in Kyoto, and really delicious!

Both D'espairsRay and Merry are releasing new albums this year, and they've both recently put out pvs for the title tracks.  Merry's 'Under-world' actually just came out today, and D'espa's 'Redeemer' will be released on March 11th. 
First off, D'espairsRay's 'Redeemer' is...AWESOME!  This is the kind of song I've been waiting for from them for almost a year!  They've been putting out good singles, embracing a new style and all, but nothing was particularly striking to me.  I enjoy the band's new style too, but this is a bit more like their earlier stuff in terms of atmosphere...they even have a similar (I'm not sure it's the same..but it looks like it) mic stand as the 'Born' pv!  The pv is strange and freakish, unlike the rather standard, pretty boring pvs D'espa's been putting out for almost a year now. The song itself is also harsher and heavier than the likes of 'Kamikaze', and is a nice contrast since it follows 'Horizon', the song most people consider farthest from their previous hard, industrial style.

Merry's 'Under-world' is interesting...bombastically harsh, fast, and wild, but with a strangely appealing, driving rhythm to it.  I'm still undecided as to whether I actually like it or not, because it's the kind of song that could give you a headache if you're not in the mood for this sort of thing, but I find the building tension of it quite nice, so I'm leaning in a positive direction at the moment.  I somehow get the feeling this song is one that'll be in that category of Merry's work that makes people form hate/love relationship with their music...I often think Merry are kind of hit-or-miss like that.  I mean, there are plenty of people who're fairly strongly divided over their love or dislike for their music, and even among fans there tends to be plenty of strong opinions over each new single.  Though I appreciate all their work, there are always a few tracks that will rub you the wrong way and it's just hard to like them, but I think this one's not bad at all.  It has a sort of persuasively forceful energy to it, and the pv is pretty cool.

D'espairsRay's new single 'Horizon' came out today!  I'm not sure what I think of it yet...it's so very different from their previous stuff, even their past two singles 'Brilliant' and 'Kamikaze'.  Those two still had a fairly dark atmosphere to them, but 'Horizon' is much lighter and peppier, with chorus-like backing vocals and rapping.  It's got a great rock atmosphere and D'espa's technique is superb as usual (particularly Karyu...he has an awesome solo) but, I sort of miss their brooding darkness. :P  I've noticed that the band has slowly been changing their song composition style, putting in more clearly defined guitar solos.  It's nice that Karyu gets his time to shine...I'd always found it interesting that in the past they never really went with that typical structure.  (I don't think of it in terms of being a good or bad thing though...both styles have their merits.) 

The single's coupling tracks are good too.  'Bullet' is heavy, but again lacks that old darkness,  however that makes it a nice accompaniment and contrast to 'Horizon''s uplifting, melodic sound.  The other coupling song is a quiet, starkly beautiful remake of the classic 'Yami ni Furu Kiseki' from the 'Born' ep. I think this is only the second time Hizumi has sung in such a gentle, solitary way accompanied by just a piano and violin (the last time was 'Screen' from the 'Squall single')...it's gorgeous!  Like the title suggests, it creates a feeling of a silent, blank, white landscape.  It's probably the softest, most delicate song they've ever produced.  Definitely a new side to D'espairsRay, but an amazing and captivating one that makes me want to hear more of what they can do.  Anyway, I think 'Horizon' is a good song and solid single, and I'm interested to see where they'll take this new look and sound on the upcoming album.

I've been keeping my eye on lynch. since I first heard their song 'Forgiven' from their album 'The Avoided Sun' because I was impressed by Hazuki's voice.  I have to admit I haven't paid close attention to them as much as other groups, mostly because although I liked some of their stuff, not all of it was to my taste.  However, I think their newest single 'Ambivalent Ideal' is particularly good and has re-grabbed my attention.  It sounds dark and sultry, yet intense and harsh.  The low-key, deep instrumentation and whispered lyrics create an awesome atmosphere.
 
Hazuki's vocals really shine here as he alternates between screams, murmured singing, and fragile, beautiful high notes.  I just love the contrast between the low, dark harshness and crystal purity of those notes.  It was this quality of Hazuki's voice that caught my attention when I first listened to lynch., and I feel like it's displayed extremely well in this song.  I love vocalists that have a wide range and can traverse both harsh shouting and emotional screams and strong, clear singing while utilizing each to their greatest potential.  D'espairsRay's Hizumi and girugamesh's Satoshi can also do this well an are consequently among my favourite vocalists.  In fact, the dark, brooding mood of this song/pv reminds me somewhat of D'espairsRay back in the day.  Plus, it seems like there aren't as many bands doing this style of visual kei anymore, so it's nice to see lynch. putting out music like this.  It really makes me nostalgic for the days when D'espairsRay were decked out in their gothic-like costumes and did songs like 'Marry of the Blood' and 'Garnet' (though lynch. has quite a different sound, and generally aren't as disturbing or creepy in their themes, I can't help but be reminded, particularly by this song, because it has the same sensual yet heavy feeling).

The pv for D'espairsRay's new single, 'Kamikaze' (which comes out Aug. 6th), was released a few days ago.  I've really been looking forward to this single because D'espairsRay is one of my favourite bands so new material from them is always something to be excited about, but also this time they actually shot a proper pv for it! (not just the song put over live footage, like the 'Brilliant' pv was)  I like all of D'espairsRay's music, but I have to say I still prefer their earlier work and the 'Coll:set' album over 'Mirror' and their recent stuff...but that's unlikely to change since it was 'Coll:set' that made me fall in love with the band (and it's one of my favourite albums of all time). ^_^  Nevertheless, I wouldn't completely put it past them to come up with a work of genius that could blow those albums out of the water, so after 'Brilliant' came out and it became apparent D'espa was shifting their sound in a new direction again, I was eager to hear what new elements they were incorporating. 

If 'Brilliant' was like a sort of bridge moving on from the sound of 'Mirror', 'Kamikaze' gives a very cool glimpse of where D'espa is heading...it's an awesome song filled with interesting new experimentation for the band.  In 'Kamikaze' D'espairsRay use some nice distortion on Hizumi's voice (for a long time it's never been altered much at all since he has such a strong, good voice), but it's a nice addition that accents his voice without destroying its unique quality or overdoing it.  The pv is awesome-looking as most D'espairsRay pvs are...I like how they used effects and the non-band footage, plus the fact that you could actually see all the members pretty clearly (unlike 'Trickst☆r').  The only objection I have is the bolo tie Karyu is wearing....seriously, what the hell was he thinking?! >_<  When I saw it I was just like....*pause*...*double check that I saw that correctly*......NOOOOO!!!! WHYYY?!!  It's just wrong...that fad should NEVER be revived, ever...especially by people as fashion-conscious as a v-kei band...ugh, it's practically a fashion crime! (unless you're a cowboy...then it looks a bit better...but only a bit!)

Ahem, moving on....overall, looking at the imagery in the pv, their outfits, and the sound of the song, D'espairsRay seem to be incorporating urban influences more and more now, and less of the gothic aesthetic that they'd embraced for years since the band's creation.  I like their new sound and approach, but if they do continue in this direction, I will feel a bit sad since D'espairsRay were always the epitome of dark, brooding gothicness to me and I loved that about them.  Well, good things can come from change too, so it's something to be happy about as well, even if I do miss the old days...but if 'Kamikaze' is any indication, I think D'espa will be turning out another great album soon (next year, hopefully?) and I'll be looking forward to it!

Anyway, today I went over to Williamsburg in Brooklyn, a really nice, hip neighborhood with lots of vintage clothes shops, indie music stores, cafes, little bookstores, and the like.  The weather was nice again so I just walked around and did some browsing (didn't buy anything, though...some of the clothes shops were surprisingly expensive, and I'm trying to save my money for Japan anyway).  But it was fun and I had some good food; I found a cute little Mexican restaurant with a pretty garden courtyard, a good cheese shop, and a cafe with really delicious pastries. : )

By the way, I stumbled upon an anime recently that's really cute and interesting.  It might not sound all that exciting at first, but it's an unusual concept, very funny, and not too long either.  It's called 'Moyashimon', and the idea behind it is that this guy can see microbes, like bacteria and stuff (which look surprisingly cute in the anime), and its about his first year in agricultural college.  If you have a quirky sense of humour and like strange stuff, you'll probably get a laugh out of this anime...it's kinda silly and weird at times, but hilarious in its absurdity and the behaviour of its odd characters.

Today D'espairsRay's new single, 'Brilliant' was released.  When I heard it live I wasn't too sure about it, but after hearing the recorded version, it's really grown on me and I like it and the coupling song as well.  It reminds me of 'Trickstar' a bit in terms of the guitar work and melody, but they're very different songs...'Brilliant' has a more uplifting feel to it, while 'Trickstar' was darker and its sound harder.

The coupling song, 'Cocoon', feels almost like a continuation of 'Brilliant', so I think it's a good match since the style is somewhat similar but 'Cocoon' is more aggressive and darker.  Still no sign of a pv for 'Brilliant', although I'm not sure if it's because it hasn't been released yet, or they didn't make one at all.  Perhaps they were too busy with recent touring and the hide Memorial Summit to film one.  'Brilliant'    'Cocoon'

D'espairsRay seem to be fond of this bright shade of purple, since they've used it on the single cover and in recent photoshoots.  Their new look is less monochrome and dark than their wardrobe for Mirror.  In fact, they seem to be incorporating more white and colour in general lately, which is nice I suppose...they must be bored with wearing black, grey, and brown all the time. : )

Ahh, right now there's a lull in the v-kei scene as everyone is busy recording, have just finished touring, or are on break before the summer season..so the majority of the bands that I follow (including all my favorites) haven't appeared in the media for ages and haven't had any releases for a while [and won't have any until the end of summer in some cases]. *sigh*

However, this week three new singles are coming out: Kra's 'Kizuna', Kiyoharu's 'Samidare', and D'espairsRay's 'Brilliant'.  Listening to each of them, I can't say any of them are really exceptional or amazing, but they're all decent songs.  The pv for 'Kizuna' reminds me of Kra's earlier 'Artman' single, since it's done in a similar dark style but 'Kizuna' has more special effects.  All the members are looking good, but I was surprised because Yuura has let his hair grow quite long, the longest it's been in several years as far as I can remember, but it suits him very well (I just didn't recognize him for a second, hehe).

'Samidare' is alright; I get the feeling it's the type of song that grows on you...but the main thing that stood out to me in the pv was the fact that the drummer is a girl. ^_^  The song is upbeat and the guitar work is nice, but personally it's a bit to peppy for my tastes and I'm not a fan of how "busy" the song sounds.  I prefer the strong, clear beat of 'Aibu', Kiyoharu's previous single. As usual, the pv for D'espairsRay's 'Brilliant' has yet to be released, but I have high hopes for it.  D'espairsRay is one of my favorite bands and despite their tendency to have long periods of time between releases, their work is always excellent.  Although I was mildly disappointed in the Mirror album [Coll:set is still the best!] the new single sounds good based on the live performance at the hide Memorial Summit, so I'm looking forward to hearing the recorded version.  Also, D'espa's gone white again, which makes this the second time since the 'Kogoeru Yoru ni Saita Hana' single.  It's nice that they're taking a break from the usual black, dark monochromatic outfits they typically wear,  and white does seem more fitting for this single since it's titled 'Brilliant'.