5 posts tagged “versailles”

Today a very shocking, terrible, and truly saddening announcement was made by Versailles.  Though he'd just recently taken time off to rest due to bad physical condition, it appears bassist Jasmine You has passed away.  He died on August 9th in the early morning, but the cause has not yet been stated.  On the OHP they wrote that this was very sudden for everyone including the other band members and their staff, and for the time being they will be postponing activity.  They say once Jasmine's family grants their permission more information surrounding this situation will be reported.

I'm sure all Versailles' fans are nervous about the future of the band, but I think they deserve to take as much time as they need to decide how they will deal with this tragic occurrence and move forward.  This is so unbelievably unfortunate and sad...I don't even have the words to express it.  He was so young and there wasn't any indication that he was fatally ill or unwell despite his pause of activity...it's such an awful loss.  I give my condolences to Versailles and his family and hope Jasmine You is always remembered fondly.  From all that I saw and learned of him via band interviews and video footage, he always seemed to have an upbeat attitude and was a funny, beautiful person with or without the exuberant costume and makeup.

Here is the original message from the OHP:

２００９．８．９ 更新 「Versailles」より緊急のお知らせ

兼ねてより体調不良にてお休みをいただいておりましたJasmine Youですが、８月９日未明に永眠いたしました事をまずここにご報告させていただきます。あまりに突然な出来事に、メンバー・スタッフ共に今はまだ茫然と現実を受け入れることで精一杯です。

詳しい事がわかり次第、ご遺族様の了解を得たうえでご報告をさせていただきますが、ファンの皆様もどうか冷静に受け止めて頂きたく存じます。

また、現在発表されております活動に関しましては、当分見合わせていただきます。

The three limited edition versions of Versailles' new major debut single 'Ascendead Master' each came with one part of a little movie the band made to go with the theme of the song.  Of course, it involves vampires, eternal life, roses, and the "descendants of the rose" story that they've created as their fictional historical background.  Happily, and somewhat against my expectations, the movie isn't too bad!  It's good quality and well shot, with actors who do a fairly decent job of their performances, and though all the members appear, they don't make any overly forced attempts to act much in the film themselves (since let's face it, acting is generally not a strong point for rockers >_<).  Only Kamijo has actual lines (in English) that he says himself, though Jasmine You has a creepy English voiceover to speak for him (by the way, I found the role he was cast in ironically funny XP).  Kamijo's English is...interesting, and rather heavily accented, but I suppose it works with his role as a vampire. ^_^;

So, overall I'm glad to see Versailles were smart with their choices in directing this little movie, though they had a hell of a team of people working on this, as you can see from the credits.  The short plot has some holes and isn't the most believable story ever, since the length is limited and was obviously created to fit around the concepts of the single, but is surprisingly well-thought out for what it is, and you have to give them credit for putting in this much effort and trying to make it somewhat deep.  Though the movie neared the borders of ridiculousness in the third section with all the drama at the press conference [the part from 3:00 is epic lulz], I didn't find it horribly silly or trite overall, so props to Versailles for keeping it relatively sensible.  I think of the many mini-movies made by visual-kei bands over the years (e.g. Malice Mizer, An Cafe, alice nine.), this is perhaps the best.  Here are parts one, two and three.

There's a handful of releases coming out June 24th, including Versailles' new single 'Ascendead Master', Kiyoharu's new single 'Darlene', and Matenrou Opera's first full album 'ANOMIE'.  The pvs for them just came out, and though I'll probably discuss Matenrou Opera's album in full later, for now I'll only discuss the title track 'ANOMIE' and its pv in keeping with the others.

So first off, 'ANOMIE' totally blew away my expectations for this release!  I wasn't that impressed by the band's previous two singles, but this has completely turned things around for me...I think it's a different but positive sound shift for Matenrou Opera, and still very much within their style.  And of course, this is the song that confirmed Matenrou Opera is Anomie, the mysterious group that caused quite a bit of speculation earlier in the year, but it remains to be seen what their plans for this "alter-ego" are. 

From the mysterious, bass-driven intro, to the fast-paced, hard beat of the chorus and lovely string and piano accents, this song is almost like a culmination of the talent Matenrou Opera is really capable of.  With their previous releases, it was clear they had skill, but I always got the feeling they could do even better, like they'd come close but just short of the mark, and I think they've really developed with 'ANOMIE' and hit right on with this one.  Their song arrangement has improved, Sono's delivery is more controlled and consistent, and at least for me, compared to their other releases 'ANOMIE' grabs your attention and doesn't let go.  With many of their other works, I find I lose interest and want to move on after giving it one listen-through.  I mean, that's just my opinion and not true for all their music, but something I've noticed tends to happen with me.  Also, the pv for this song is light-years better than their video for 'Alkaloid Showcase' in almost every way...the quality's better, the camera angles, choreography, and the band's performance are all more interesting to watch this time around. : )  By the way, if you pay close attention you'll see that Matenrou appear in their white outfits as Anomie in the pv!  It makes me really curious as to how they're going to connect these two identities.

Next up, Kiyoharu's new single 'Darlene' isn't anything especially new or innovative for him, but a solid, good song as is to be expected.  I really like the underlying rhythm from the bass in this song, as well as the switch from loud guitar riffs to melodious high notes.  Oh, and as you've probably already noticed, the song's title is a girl's name...he seems to have a fondness for doing that (e.g. Emily, Layra) or else using 君　(="you") or "love" somewhere in the title. ^_^  Ah, he's become such a sweet softie in his music as he's matured...rather different from the SADS days and songs like 'Porno Star', hahaha (though I happen to like both equally...Kiyoharu rocks no matter what he's doing :D).

Finally, the new single 'Ascendead Master' from Versailles....oh, where to start.  Versailles has plenty of skill and talent, that is obvious, but where they sometimes fail is in their tendency to repeat and overdo things.  Well, then again one can validly argue the whole point of their act and visual theme IS to be over-the-top, gorgeous, and レネッサンス！ all the time, but the roses, frills, vampires, and big hair get kinda tiresome after awhile.  If at least the members wouldn't look almost the same with every new costume rotation (except for the all-mighty "vampire lord" Kamijo who gets to change more than just the cut of his outfit design, lol) and maybe include some different concepts once in a while, it'd be so much more interesting!  I suppose this is one of the major pitfalls of being a concept band, but I sort of hoped they'd manage to do more with it, especially visually, as time went on.

I mean, though I do enjoy their music and you can't deny the awesomeness of their guitar work or the charm of Kamijo's voice, I really wonder if they can keep this up forever.  (Besides, the whole self-absorbed, dramatic "omg, look at us, we're so beautiful and aristocratic!" gets old rather fast.)  I certainly like 'Ascendead Master' better than 'Prince & Princess' (though I really liked those white costumes they had for that single), and I think 'Ascendead' is a very good song, but sometimes I wish they'd put a bit more variety in their work and not be so ridiculous sometimes.  And I don't mean that with respect to their costumes or dresses (though I get the urge to rip those awful fake lashes off Jasmine You every time I see him) but more toward their overall attitude, I guess...it gets to be too much when they go overboard with the act, and it probably hurts them more than helps them when it comes to potential/existing fans and exposure.  I mean, in other times like serious interviews and a few comments they act quite different, and I find them far more endearing in those instances.  I'm all for fantasy, vampires, aristocracy, etc., and they do it extremely well, but sometimes when the same fantasy goes on for too long, it loses its appeal and imagination.  (But I have to admit, Kamijo makes a very convincing, sexy vampire in this pv. ^_^)

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'

The band Versailles has been getting tons of attention since it formed, mostly because several of the members are experienced, established figures in the visual kei scene, have a lot of talent, and the band sort of went against the current trends in the industry by adopting very elaborate, aristocratic 18th century-style European costumes.  Much like the palace referred to in their name, the band's clothes are gaudy and ornate.  Nowadays this style is rather rare, and I don't think any other bands currently have such lavish, antiquated outfits to this degree.  I think only the now-disbanded Malice Mizer can be said to outdo them in showiness and extravagance, although their style was stranger/more disturbing and mixed with more modern fashion elements.

Versailles' sound is dramatic, at times romantic metal with a touch of classical-inspired melodies, and the occasional elegant ballad (they're of the symphonic power metal genre, to be exact).  Versailles reminds me of D in many ways...though Versailles' image is visually richer and fancier, they share a love of roses, vampires, and European design, plus musically they both play a faster, more metal-influenced form of rock but for the most part replace the typical screaming and harsher vocal techniques with smooth, deep singing.  However, D's visual image is more modern-looking, standard kote kei, and they've been lightening up recently too, in both sound and visuals.  Versailles is also a bit like Rentrer en Soi with the French influence...Versailles is more like the old RES in terms of image, but musically their composition style and the structure of certain songs more closely resembles the new, harder RES.
Versailles is certainly on the extreme end of the visual-kei scale when it comes to their image, but perhaps this is a good thing since that type of band has almost totally died off since the end of the 90's and Versailles may increase the popularity and interest in the aesthetic...which could make way for a come-back of sorts (but it's rather unlikely to happen).  Nevertheless, if they manage to put a new spin on this old look and do something interesting musically they could be a decent success, although the mainstream sector of the Japanese public probably won't get into such an extreme visual group on any significant level.

Although I'd seen the pv for their first single, 'The Revenant Choir', a long time ago, I have to say I wasn't too keen on Versailles at first.  I try not to judge based on appearance, but usually you can tell what a v-kei band will sound like by their look, and I've never been really into bands of this sort.  Honestly it has nothing to do with the costumes, I just never really got hooked on that kind of sound.  (In fact, I think you have to admire the creativity and effort put into the outfits and their unique beauty.) 

But, listening to Versailles other work, the mini-album 'Lyrical Sympathy' and new album 'Noble', I found myself enjoying it more than I expected.  The members have some impressive skills, and unlike many other similar bands before them, I feel Versailles' songs are more varied and interesting, with distinct melodies and hooks that grab your attention.  And, I've always liked Kamijo's voice too, ever since he was in Lareine (although I wasn't crazy about Lareine's musical composition).  They may not be everyone's cup of tea, or the best of the best, but Versailles definitely have talent and a strong visual concept that catches the eye.  Some of the members may look like women, wear high platform boots, heavy makeup, and perform in extravagant dresses, but they can shred like nobody's buisiness, so at the very least you've gotta give them credit for that. ^_^  Anyway, here're some songs to sample:  'Suzerain'    'Sympathia'    'The Love from a Dead Orchestra'    'Windress'    'To the Chaos Inside'