4 posts tagged “mucc”

I just have to say I'm really excited about カラス, the new self-proclaimed neo-visual kei super unit made up of Tatsurou from MUCC, Hiroto from Alice Nine, Mizuki from Sadie, dunch from jealkb, and Kenzo from Ayabie.  They first got together at this year's JACK IN THE BOX event, but now they're going to record a studio version of an original song they made together!  I wonder if the unit will stick around and put out a few significant releases or just fade away like S.K.I.N. did, but for the time being I'm eagerly awaiting the release of the song, which is called 'LASTICA'.  It sounds very interesting from the preview clip on their myspace (the last few seconds sorta remind me of the British band Muse's work in a way...a little futuristic but more industrial).  I think the whole group and the sound is refreshing in the midst of the current v-kei scene...I always love it when artists collaborate and mix things up because it's just a great opportunity for new creativity.  I also find it very interesting that they're actively using the term "neo-visual kei"...perhaps this represents a move among artists to really take hold of that term and clearly define it for themselves, since it's been more of a word used by the media and attached to bands thus far, so the meaning of it has been relatively vague.

Also, shifting over to fashion again...though there's no way in hell I could ever afford these (or rather, permit myself to spend so much on one pair of shoes), I can't help ogling and admiring this absolutely amazing-looking pair of Fifre 120 Christian Louboutin ankle boots. *_* They're so pretty....but so, so outrageously expensive. T_T  Just looking at the price makes me want to curl up in a ball (let's just say I could feed myself for half a semester with the money it would take to buy these).  But they are lovely to look at...Louboutin always makes such gorgeous, classic designs. <3

This afternoon I went with a bunch of people to the area around Teramachi-dori.  There's lots of small stores, cafes, and such around there, so it's a cool place to hang out.  There were a whole bunch of purika booths and crane game machines, as well as some tourist trapy, amusingly tacky stores, so it was fun to walk around and see everything.  Oh, and I finally got to try a Japanese crepe!  I got a ピーチ＆ストロベリー one, which had strawberry ice cream, whipped cream, peaches, and strawberries in it.  It was really tasty, so next time I see a crepe shop, I must get another. :D

After exploring a bit, we went to the nearby Kinokuniya bookstore, where I bought a copy of Murakami Haruki's 「ねじまき鳥クロニクル」, or Wind-up Bird Chronicle, in the orignal Japanese.  I've read the english translation and loved the book, so I thought I'd attempt to read it in Japanese....it'll probably be very hard, but good practice I suppose.

I'm hoping to do some shopping this weekend, and possibly check out a temple called Daitoku-ji, but I never really know if my plans are gonna stick.  Anyway, here's an awesome song by MUCC (from their latest single 'Ageha') that I've been listening to a lot recently during my morning commute: 'Aoi Mori'  [I especially love the beginning of the song...MUCC's releases lately have been just incredible. ^_^]  

Uwaah, the pv for MUCC's new single 'Ageha' is out!  I've been eagerly awaiting MUCC's next single in the wake of the awesomeness that was their last album, 'Shion', and I have to say I'm not disappointed in the least.  I like that MUCC are continuing to experiment and blend musical genres...I think with 'Shion' they broke boundaries as a band and realized they could make this work and expand beyond their established comfort zone, so I guess there's no turning back now (but that's a good thing). ^_^  'Ageha' is metal with a touch of techno pop, a powerful and aggressive song with plenty of hooks, including an excellent combination of electric and acoustic guitar work in the beginning, a cool solo, and strong, diverse vocals from Tatsurou throughout.

The title "ageha" means "swallowtail butterfly", and aptly there are plenty of butterflies in the pv, as well as some cool "living mannequins", and a gorgeous set filled with natural elements like trees and dirt.  I love the colours used too, they're very striking and complimentary...all in all the pv just rocks and looks amazing in every way.  MUCC's new outfits are nice as well...dark and classy; a bit more fancy and dressed-up than I think they've been before, since they tended to go for either the grungy, smeared make-up look or casual, fairly normal looking clothes in the past.  Similar to the pv, the cover of the single is visually bold and intense, fitting the mood of the song well.  Now I can't wait to hear the b-sides for this single! (it comes out August 27th, by the way)  ; )

It's a little past the half-way point for this year, so I thought I'd look back at some of best Japanese visual kei full album releases of 2008 so far.  Spectacular albums were put out by several major figures in the industry, and the overall quality of the releases has been amazing.  So many artists took innovative steps in their sound, trying new things and creating very unique, creative music that forms not only a developmental step forward for the groups themselves, but for the music scene as a whole.  I really think some of these albums presented a level of experimentation and freshness that is truly impressive not only within the visual kei genre, but with consideration to the rest of the international music scene as well. 
* Among the albums released this year were heidi.'s 'Innocence', Versailles' 'Noble', An Cafe's 'Gokutama Rock Cafe', and Miyavi's 'This Iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock', all of which I've discussed previously on this blog, so if you're interested in reading more about/hearing more songs from those works, check out my previous posts! : )

Anyway, here are highlights from what I consider to be among the top albums of the year:

SID - Sentimental Macchiato
An awesome album from SID with some of the greatest songs of their career up till now in my opinion.  I definitely recommend this album highly as a must-listen for the year.   SID's jazzy, melodic, and catchy sound really shines here, and the album includes a good variety of upbeat happy tunes and some harder songs, while showing off a more polished and generally smoother, lighter feel.  I feel like SID has really come into their own and made the public sit up and notice them with this album, as evidenced by their success on the Oricon charts.  Listen:  'Shougen'

Kagrra, - Core
Kagrra,'s album 'Core' is a wonderful listen that maintains the mix of rock and traditional Japanese elements that Kagrra, is known and loved for, but also introduces a touch of pop sensibility to their sound.  The light, flowing melodies and beautiful compositions mixed with catchy beats make this album one you can listen to over and over again.
Listen: 'Shigatsu Tsuitachi'    'Sai'

Miyavi - This iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock
I've discussed this album previously so I won't go into too much detail, but I think it embodies Miyavi's latest visual and musical transformation well, displaying a novel mix of Japanese traditional elements, rock, hip-hop, and underground urban style.  I also respect the statement Miyavi is making with his music in this album, and I think it shows his increasing maturity and expands his credibility as a serious musician and major figure in the industry.  It may not have been to everyone's liking, but I think you have to admit there's nothing else like this out there.

Versailles - Noble
I've just written about this band/album recently, so again I won't go into depth here, but I think Versailles has shown what they're made of with this album and proved their worth to a degree.  Their style is gaudy and grandiose, but that's what they're aiming for and they pull it off better than most other bands of a similar ilk.  Despite it being their first full album, 'Noble' displays good cohesiveness, sound technical ability, and a strong style that is different from the current crowd.

And last but not least, my pick for the best album of the first half of 2008 is...

MUCC - Shion
This album honestly blew me away.  I really like MUCC since they're an excellent band and consistently put out top quality music, but I feel they've totally outdone themselves with this one.  When I first listened to 'Shion' I felt a rush of excitement and feeling of "this is awesome!" that I haven't experienced in quite a while.  (It's the same way I felt when I first listened to some of Dir en grey's earlier albums like 'Macabre' and 'Vulgar', which is saying something because it was Diru that first got me into v-kei and those albums are just classic.)  I like practically every song on the 13 track cd (with the unusual exception of 'Flight' -_-lll), something that's pretty rare even with the best of albums, which is a testament to what skillful musicians MUCC are.  I think this will end up being one of the best albums of 2008 as a whole, and it's certainly become my favourite MUCC album ever.

One of the most outstanding features of 'Shion' is the sheer variety of musical styles in it.  This ability to play around and make each style sound great while retaining their signature sound displays MUCC's versatility and talent.  There's lovely string arrangements, great use of electronics, and tons of new exotic/ethnic elements in the songs in addition to the usual headbang-worthy riffs.  There's some hints of Middle Eastern melodies, pop, techno, latin techniques, and even a touch of tribal drums.  MUCC's typical hard rock style is pushed up a notch in several songs with near metal-like heaviness in the composition, plus there's a little gothic twist added in at times too, something MUCC have done well before.
In my opinion, this album is a masterpiece for MUCC.  For sure 'Shion' is a must-listen...with so much variety there's bound to be something in here everyone can appreciate, so I highly recommend it even if you aren't usually a big fan of Jmusic or v-kei! ; )  [* 'Shion' is available in the US iTunes music store, btw]  Here's some tracks to listen to:  'Fukuro no Yurikago'    'Anjelier'    'Chiisana Mado'    'Shion'