月世界-gessekai-

ALSDEAD
OHP
visunavi
MySpace
DICE&JOKER
ironwerkrecords
visunavi
JSHOXX english interview transcript

i've wanted to write about this band for a looooong time, but i was worried that they had disbanded because their website was down and their visunavi profile wasn't being updated. luckily, i found out DICE&JOKER had just changed their name to ALSDEAD after acquiring a new bassist^^ phew~ i was really relieved.

メンバー紹介-member intro-
from top to bottom
マキ-Maki- (vo.)
 沁-Shin- (gu.)
 玲人-Reito- (ba.)
 刹亞-Setsua- (dr.)

DICE&JOKER, or rather, ALSDEAD is an example of a really talented indies band that does not have the support of a well known indies record label like UNDECODE or SPEEDISK (they are with heretic sound music) to promote them. instead, they rely mainly on the quality of the music they create (...i suspect this is/will change since they seem to have a lot more attention drawn to them now as ALSDEAD). i still can't find them on 2ch; they tour with really indies bands like SOMATIC GUARDIAN and GenovA; and they aren't even entered in vkDB yet. however, people are obviously listening to them. the first time i noticed DICE&JOKER was on Bands @id because their mp3 samples were ranked among the top 3 (i just checked Bands @id briefly and noticed that ALSDEAD is now #1!). anyway, ALSDEAD are a true PickUP^^

while i haven't listened to ALSDEAD's first double A-side, 「Violent Of Reason」, that was just released (1/28), their freshman effort as DICE&JOKER, 「ETERNAL INSANITY」, is just amazing!

DICE&JOKER describe their music as heavily influenced by "洋楽-yougaku-", the blanket term japanese seem to use when referencing "western music". when a vk band says it, they mean western-style progressive metal (like a perfect circle, etc...). so DICE&JOKER's sound is akin to the newer ネオビジュアル系-neo-visual-kei- style (a term popularized by NHK's shows about vk) that is less metal/rock-a-billy/jazz oriented. the guitars are distorted and heavy, the vocals gruff, and the bass deep. a lot of their music is similar to the GazettE's heavy stuff...but being a 4-piece unit, they also sound like ムック on a few tracks. hmmm...lemme comment on a few tracks to better elaborate.

「ROT FROM THE INSIDE」 is a bit GazettE-y to me. the opening is great, starting slow and hard, and then accelarates as the bass guitar and double bass kick in. and then...Maki starts the song with a really neo-vk trend; he raps, and with as much skill as the DJ KRUSH-loving ルキ-Ruki- xD but just like Ruki, the hip-hop flava is only on certain versus, and shows off Maki's skill as a vocalist. and what a vocalist he is! he's the kind of vocalist that is able to make a song come alive with varying vocal styles. here, he pumps up the song and listener towards the fast guitar solo @ the 3 min. mark, and then violently drags the listener on to the conclusion of the song.

「ETERNAL INSANITY」 is more of a standard vk song...it's a ballad, but it's not boring at all. Maki's vocals and emphatic, strong guitar-work keep a medium tempo that ebbs and flows, successfully portraying Maki's lyrics of a once war-torn world and the sacrifices made for peace. so many vk bands pull off nice-sounding ballads...but they can be quite dull. DICE&JOKER on the other hand knows how to pay attention to the tempo, build-up, and layering of a song, keeping it interesting.

「CORPSE GATE」 is much like the rap-metal fusion popularized by the GazettE (minus the turntables and female backing vocals)...actually, speaking of the GazettE, the build-up in the middle of 「CORPSE GATE」 (@1:57~2:12) is very 「filth in the beauty」. this song is so aggressive, the constant F-bombs and rolled r's are just awesome! it's full of lines like:
"後悔などしなくていい、そのままで死ね！-koukai nado shinakute ii sono mama shine- ("there's no need to regret, just f@cking die like that!) *unintelligible english* mother f@cking *more unintelligible english*"

and 「ASH…」, a slower ballad that, again, doesn't get boring. it shows a more experimental side with a slide guitar intro and a cleaner sound...it's a bit folk-y sounding in a few places (kinda like BUMP OF CHICKEN). this is something that very few vk bands have ever attempted (...シド did in one of their b-sides, 「life」) and to me, displays a great deal of creativity as well as versatility. mass respect yo~

結論を言えば-bottom line-

DICE&JOKER/ALSDEAD is a band that came out of practically nowhere. a true gem in the indies scene that is pushing forward now as ALSDEAD. according to their visunavi profile, they opened for the SEX MACHINEGUNS back in may, an honor that many other more well-known vk bands cannot come close to and speaks to their talent. with propelling, powerful vocals, versatile and skilled guitar-work, they are a surprisingly polished band, equal to vk major label acts. i sincerely hope they continue this level of work and someday soon become just as well known as vk artists like the GazettE or ムック.

ALSDEAD gets a well deserved ♪♪♪♪♪ 4.5 onpus/ out of 5
i can't pimp these guys enough xD
here's an old picture as DICE&JOKER↓

おススメCD-recommended cd-
「ETERNAL INSANITY」

収録曲
①～ＳＥ～
②乖離（ＫＡＩＲＩ）
③ROT FROM THE INSIDE*
④ETERNAL INSANITY*
⑤CORPSE GATE*
⑥PM's INSISTENCE
⑦ASH…*
⑧NO FEELING REALITY
(a * denotes a discussed track)

download @ MF→　「ETERNAL INSANITY」
credit: lost4gd on lj

類似アーティスト-similar artists-
the GazettE
ムック
gaudie.

while 「sink」 had soft, touching lyrics, 「raw」 is full of brief vignettes of various, less than savory lives which are expressed by just a few graphic words. images of organs, death, and sexual behavior contribute to the theme of illness in 「devils in bedside」

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

「raw」
詞　ryo 曲　9GOATS BLACK OUT

胎児は憶えている　艶めく母親のベリーダンス
肺に酸が注がれる
彼女は憶えている　背徳がスリルのベリーダンス
腕の数で満たされる

後悔しそうなメッセージ　消化に搾取よベリーダンス
そう　君に触れていたのに
露呈しそうなメッセージ　老化に鞭打つベリーダンス
そう　貴方は愁いたのか

歓喜障害　同一性　矛盾化
瞬間が意味する　Blind end & slope down
性器　才気　正気　商淫のブローカー
洗礼と不老で相殺の子か

胎児は憶えている　艶めく母親のベリーダンス
そう　君に触れていたのに
彼女は憶えている　背徳がスリルのベリーダンス
そう　貴方は嘆いたのか

後悔さえも売ったのに"僕"は手を伸ばして
首吊り台へ　ふわふわ浮かぶ
もう叶わないって
知ったのはあの日の午後
花火が煌めいて

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

The embryo remembers / The enchanting mother's belly dance
Acid pours into the lungs
She remembers / Immorality's thrilling belly dance
Fulfilled by the number of arms*

A message that might be regretted / "Suck to digest it" belly dance
Yes, even though I was touched by you
A message that might reveal / "Whip on the aging"** belly dance
Yes, I wonder if you were troubled

Enjoyment/Disorder, at once become a paradox***
BLIND END & SLOPE DOWN  the instance comes into meaning
Genitals, Aptitude, Sanity, the broker of indecency
Is this a child that is compensated by a Baptism and immortality?

The embryo remembers / The enchanting mother's belly dance
Yes, even though I was touched by you
She remembers / Immorality's thrilling belly dance
Yes, I wonder if you lamented

Although "I" have even sold my regret, I stretch out my hands
To the hanging post / I gently float upwards
You said it won't come to pass
All I know is on that evening
The fireworks sparkled and...

NOTES:
*"Fulfilled by the number of arms (腕の数で満たされる)". i translated this literrally. i assume it means that the woman portrayed is satisfied by the the amount of arms she holds in...numerous relationships.
**"鞭打つ-muchi utsu-" is a phrase that refers to cracking a whip. metaphorically, it means to urge on someone/something.
***this might be my favorite line. it sounds really scientific. "歓喜障害-kanki-shougai-" is like a made-up word for "Enjoyment Disorder". it's similar to "精神障害-seishin-shougai-" which means, "mental disorder". i chose to translate "歓喜障害-kanki-shougai-" as "mental/disorder" because it highlights the paradox of having a disorder with "enjoyment (歓喜)" that is described in the rest of the line (同一性　矛盾化-douissei mujunka-).

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

i can't say for sure...but it seems like this is a song about an abortion from the perspective of the aborted fetus...much like Dir en grey's 「mazohyst of decadence」: the "embryo (胎児)"remembers that on the day of his (僕-boku- is deliberately inserted in the song, so the singer is male) conception there were fireworks; the "hanging post (首吊り台)" is some sort of symbol for an execution (abortion?); and the mother referred to as 母親-hahaoya-, is most likely the "she (彼女)" that is in the song, who seems to be quite the female playa xD

the lyrics are sooo vague. they seem to just be a collection of phrases, that if pieced together backwards, tell a story. the word choice is also...really graphic...a lot of biology terms and scientific-like phrases are present(especially my fave line "Enjoyment/Disorder, at once become a paradox (歓喜障害　同一性　矛盾化)"). the tone, and gentleness seen in 「sink」 and 「Den lil havue」 are absent in this song...although the themes and images of the human body are concurrent with the overall scenery in 「devils in bedside」.

9GOATS BLACK OUT is one pretty unique band. their musical style is atmospheric, laced with enchanting and expressive vocals provided by ryo (ex-GULLET). their debut effort, 「devils in bedside」 showcased images/themes of sickness, love, and biology which are conjured up when facing "devils" in illness (ryo (vo.) and utA (gu.) both had sick family members during the cretion of the album^ see their JaME interview (日本語版)) the lyrics that display these themes range from beautiful and poignant, to raw and graphic.

i originally thought that the song 「sink」 was just another vague love song that has been done a thousand times...until i looked at the interview with ryo and re-examined the lyrics more closely.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

「sink」
詞　ryo 曲　9GOATS BLACK OUT

眠りへと落ちてゆく君に言葉を探す
ガラスの羽根で　ゆがむ声で
頼りなくも生きてゆくと
今君に誓うよ　祈りを込めて
君に来ない明日へ

会わない時間がどれだけ不安にさせた
指先が涙に触れる

感情さえ消して距離を置いた
何気ない背き　埋まらないまま平行で
疎ましく思う程　意味を感じた
その手はいつの日からか　細く変わっていた

春を待つ文字
離れたがらないベッドで
また一つ
思い出が増える

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

I search for words as you fall asleep
With glass wings  With a strained voice
"I will continue to live on without relying on you"*
I swear this to you now  I will put forth this prayer and
Head towards that tomorrow in which you will not come

These fingertips made uneasy by never being able to see you again
Are touched by tears

I rid myself of my emotions and place a distance between us
A look as if nothing happened  Laying here, parallel and unburied
To the point that I become sick  I feel the realization of it all
Since when have those hands  Changed ever so slightly**

The character that waits for spring***
From the bed which you do not seem to want to let go of
Again, my recollections
Increase by one more

NOTES:
*the phrase, "頼りなくも生きてゆくと-tayorinaku mo ikiteyuku to-", doesn't necessarily have any malice or ill intent within it. in english, the phrase, "I will continue to live on without relying on you", may seem to be a bit harsh however.
**the phrase used is, "細く変わっていた-hosoku kawatteita-", ="changing slightly". i think you would normally describe a sick person's hands in this situation as, "becoming thin (細くなっていた)", with the adjective "thin (細い)" encompassing the entirety of the predicate...but i just translated the passage literally.
***i have no idea what this "character (文字)" is, or what the significance of "spring" is @_@. it's pretty cryptic

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

the song is obviously a scene between two people who are being separated. one seems to be dying. i initially assumed that the relationship between the singer and the "you (君)" was that of two lovers...but after checking out both versions of the interview and learning that both ryo and utA had very ill family members during the album's creation, it became clear that this was a song about a sick and dying family member (or at least inspired by one). suddenly, the vague relationship and lines like, "I will continue to live on without relying on you (頼りなくも生きてゆくと　今君に誓うよ)", made sense.

...these guys were really trying to use music to deal with personal issues with this album...pretty deep.

i'll translate 「raw」 next.

OHP
visunavi (their profile is in latin xD)
Myspace

メンバー紹介-member intro-

from top to bottom:
L (vo.)
玄-Gen-gen- (gu.)
6 (gu.)
色-Shiki- (ba.)

i've been looking for some really nice, smart, heavy sh$t lately...the only problem is a lot of the heavier vk stuff is not that well composed. bands that can scream and shout while playing the same riff repeatedly *cough* DEATHGAZE *cough**cough* Black:List *cough* are a dime a dozen>_> on the other hand, there are also plenty of smart visual/oshare bands with sappy vocalists...i'm looking at you 一莵-Kazuto- (ValettA) and 武瑠-Takeru- (SUG)>_> alas, bands that can really package nice, heavy, rhythms like R指定 and -OZ- are pretty rare. but i finally got lucky!

there was a thread for "bands with vocalists that scream" over at a forum site i was browsing through, and there was the usual Dir en grey, UNSRAW, etc. mention...but there were also a few very indies bands that i had never checked out before. one was VELVET NIGHTMARE.

"wait, didn't they break up?" i thought,

so i pulled up visunavi to check out VELVET NIGHTMARE's status. turns out they did break up, only to come back as DI3SIRAE( pronounced ディエス　イレ...it's latin, "dies iare"...i think) and would be releasing a new singe soon. so i grabbed up the new single, 「fall down the deeper underground」, not expecting much, but actually became pretty impressed with the first track, 「fall down the deeper」.

「fall down the deeper」 started off with some hitler reich speech (some might be off-put by it, but i am really partial to themes of war in albums, so it was a plus for me^^) a bit reminiscent of Diru's 「MASK」. the short intro was interrupted by a volley of heavy, distorted riffs and gruff, english vocals. just as i was thinking,

"nice, nice! now just follow up with a smart chorus", i was treated to some crooning U_U

"oh man...is it going to get sappy now...wait the vocals aren't that bad...and one of the guitars is keeping the distorted ferocity of the first verse...while the other guitar and drums are creating a pretty cool, melodious chorus...not bad ^^"

even though i had conflicting emotions about the song on the first listen, the mix of rough verses and melodious chorus was pretty neat together. the short guitar solo was also not mindless finger-tapping, but weaved simply and appropriately into the song. the next two songs 「unforgettable」 and 「Disturb doll」 were, like the first track, coarse, rough, yet melodious. it constantly reminded me of R指定 (which is good^^). the music wasn't that complex, but it was smart...almost "catchy" because of the chord progression...but not "catchy" in a pop song sort of way...in a metal sort of way. like -OZ-'s earlier stuff, 「ringing」 or 「FETTERS」.

結論を言えば-bottom line-

i had to listen to DI3SIRAE's songs a few times to warm up to them, but eventually was satisfied that i had found a smart, heavy band. in fact, the next day i grabbed up DI3SIRAE's earlier stuff as VELVET NIGHTMARE...which is exactly the same, luckily. i'm not sure why they did the whole new band name thing @_@ their six song discography is not that spectacular, but i definitely think that this band has a lot of potential.

DI3SIRAE (i keep on reading it as "desire" xD) gets
♪♪♪♪♪ 3.5 *edit* onpus/ out of 5

check'em out^^

おススメCD-recommended CD- 
「fall down the deeper underground」 on→ MF
credit: Champ213

類似アーティスト-similar artists-
R指定
-OZ-
gossip

this is my first attempt at translating lyrics here ^^, so i'll start with one of my fave lyricists, 慎一郎-Shinichirou- from ジュリィー-Jully-. His lyrics, unlike so many other vk bands are not that cheesy. none of that watching your princess die in front of your eyes while you curse some sort of evil force stuff...come to think of it, his lyrics are probably the main reason for ジュリィー's success, and many japanese fans seem really impressed by them (especially on 2ch where i lifted the lyrics from) sadly, the lyrics are often overlooked by foreign fans, meaning that ジュリィー is not as disscussed as other, more audible visual-kei bands. if you haven't heard ジュリィー, they are not as metal as other vk bands...they are like a watered down heidi.. anyway, i thought it would be cool to try and pimp them to a foreign audience.

Here is one of the songs from the double a-side 「待つ人／散った痣」 single.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

「散った痣」／ジュリィー
By 管理人
09-01 11:35

机の上飾られて　気丈に振る舞い咲いている
水を換えるのは誰　そして怨む様に枯れていくのか

偽善の涙流して現在を悲しみに変えても
明日に零れる笑みは何を覚えているのか

生きるより、死ぬよりも、忘れていくのが怖い

此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　消えない痣を
此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　消えない痣をください

それにしても人とは残酷すぎる生き物と
気付いた時には僕も死んだ魚でしかなかった

生きるより、死ぬよりも、忘れられるのが怖い

此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　消えない痣を
此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　此処に痛みをください

何か覚え、何かを忘れ、それが人だとしても
僕が信じる君の証が消えぬ様に、忘れぬ様に

此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　消えない痣を
此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　消えない痣を
此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　此処に痛みを　君の痛みを

代われない自分なら捨てて　代われない痛みだけ此処に
それでも人は忘れていく　それでも人は生きていく

代われない自分なら捨てて　代われない痛みだけ此処に
それでも人は忘れていく　それでも人は生きていく

此処に痛みを　消えない痣をください

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

「Scattered Bruises」*

Decorating the top of the table  Pretending to bloom vibrantly
Who is going to change the water  Will I wither hating?

I shed fake** tears, and even if I change the present into sadness
what will the dropping smile*** I make tomorrow remember?

More than living, more than dying, forgetting is scary

Please put that pain  Put that pain  Put that pain  That bruise that won't disappear
Please put that pain  Put that pain  Put that pain  That bruise that won't disappear in here

But even so, by the time I realized that "people"**** are overly cruel beings
I was all alone with the dead fish

More than living, more than dying, being forgotten is scary

Please put that pain  Put that pain  Put that pain  That bruise that won't disappear
Please put that pain  Put that pain  Put that pain  That bruise that won't disappear in here

Recalling something, forgetting something, even if that is being human
The proof that I find in you, so that your proof never disappears... in order to never forget...

Please put that pain  Put that pain  Put that pain  That bruise that won't disappear
Please put that pain  Put that pain  Put that pain  That bruise that won't disappear
Please put that pain  Put that pain  Put that pain  Put your pain in here

If I can't change, I will throw myself away  Just place that pain which can't change in...
But even so, people will come to forget  But even so, people will continue to live

Please put that pain  Put that bruise that will not disappear in here*

NOTES:
*of course bruises can't "scatter"xD, but the japanese verb used here is 散る-chiru- as in, 散った花弁 (scattered flower petals). "散った痣" sounds weird in japanese too, but makes perfect sense in this song.
**the japanese phrase used is, "偽善の涙" is literally, "hypocrite tears". there is an english idiom, "crocodile tears", but i opted to use "fake tears"
***i luv the phrase, "零れる笑み"-koboreru-emi- Shinichirou uses here. the image is of a drop of liquid falling and than forming a smile. i chose to translate it as "dropping smile", but that phrase really is nowhere near as pretty as the japanese original...it also does not subtly reveal the identity of the singer in the song.
****the word used here is "人"-hito-, a "person", not "人間"-nigen-, a "human". using "humans" in the translation would sound better, but would totally reveal the surprise in the song.

♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪

so, can you guess what the song is about^^ well, it's not that hard, but it shows how clever ジュリィー's lyrics are...however, the chorus in this song is fun to hear, but really redundant to read though >_<

...i'll never forget to water my plants ever again

credit:
the kanrinin of the thread on 2ch where i stumbled across the lyrics

OHP
visunavi:
vkDB:
2ch: -Moran vol.2-:
Myspace:

Moran, (Kanoma?...Sanaka?...Hitomi?...it's Hitomi now right...yeah. he's changed his name so many times it's ridiculous) Hitomi's new band after Fatima has had quite a lot of successes. In just a year they have have held a number of one-man lives as well as hosted several events, the latest being "X'mas Holic Party". Fatima had a huge vk following at the beginning of the decade (...wow, it's already 2009) . Hitomi's complex and bizarre lyrics coupled with 4ge (gu.) and Lay's (ba.)...well...interesting guitar and bass playing (...which sometimes just sounded like noise, not music...that's why they made that techno outfit, obscure i guess...anyway, i'm getting off track＾＾；) won over a substantial fanbase that carried over to Hitomi's new outfit, Moran. so, does their latest release continue to justify such popularity?

「君のいた五線譜」

1.カクタス亜科-cactus aka-
2.LOSERS'　THEATER
3.君のいた五線譜-kimi no ita gosenfu-

3曲＋1PV
限定3,000枚
発売日：2008/11/12
品番：SDR-176

this release, 「君のいた五線譜」-kimi no ita gosenfu-, continues Moran's sound, which is, unlike many vk bands, less centered on hard-hitting guitar riffs, and more focused on creating an atmospheric ambience created by well thought out chords and backing keys/production. they seem to rely on creating an overall rhythm and melody, much like deadman or NightingeiL (ex. La'Mule, Kon's new band...also on the SPEED-DISK label).

①カクタス亜科-cactus aka- starts off with a nice medium-tempo intro complimented with great keys in the background until a fast tempo burst of guitar speeds things up a bit. as an opener for the maxi its nice because it is a bit more faced paced (especially compared to the star track, "君のいた五線譜-kimi no ita gosenfu-"), but other than the backing keys from the keyboard and Zill's impressive bassline's...it's pretty bland. there is some good progression from 1:30~1:45 where the bass solo is, but...meh

②LOSERS'THEATER starts off heavy for a Moran song. "heavy" not in a headbanging sort of way, but in a really grungy sort of way like the studs or deadman. this is probably Moran's heaviest song next to "party monster" from their first maxi-single...the problem is...well, Hitomi, with his unique voice, can't growl or scream...so the vocals seem a bit out of place sometimes in songs that seem like they want to sound heavy.

③君のいた五線譜-kimi no ita gosenfu-is clearly the best song on the maxi. the piano is what really sets it off, but Velo's (gu.) delicate strumming and Zill's (ba.) excellent bass solo contribute greatly. Hitomi's voice fits well with this type of slower, calming ballad. the piano solo matched with zill's bass solo is just perefect @ 2:25~2:57 and provides an excellent climax for the song. this is Moran's softest song yet and really helps to show a different side of the band up until now.

結論を言えば-bottom line- Moran continues their atmospheric style of song-making with this release. this is best exemplified by "君のいた五線譜-kimi no ita gosenfu-" while the other two tracks seem to almost display that Moran may be becoming complacent...sticking to their etablished style, or rather, hiding behind keyboards, strings, and piano, than being acentuated by such background effects.

if "カクタス亜科-cactus aka-" and "LOSERS'THEATER" were slightly more intriguing like "君のいた五線譜-kimi no ita gosenfu-", i would give them 4 onpus but...anyway, fans of Fatima are sure to recognize Moran's style.

♪♪♪♪♪ 3/5

おススメCD-recommended cd-
「目下の泥濘」-mokka no nukarumi- on MF

oh, BTW, according to their visunavi profile, the name, "Moran", is from the Moomin series of children tales...i know Moomin (ムーミン) is popular in japan, but to name a band after one of the characters xD

so i finally got new headphones! and they are my first inner ear ones＾＾ i researched online for weeks before choosing the Sennheiser CX500. Sennheiser is a really respectable audio electronics company and are offering medium-grade headphones in my price range, $30~70. i didn't know if i could get used to ear canal headphones, but since i listen to music over 6 hrs. a day, i thought i could really benefit from a better pair of headphones

...well i ripped open the package and tried the puppies out...and...well, the sound was...different. i could discern sounds better. the drums, cymbals, bass, etc. seemed disconnected and individually highlighted, but...overall, the sound was muddled compared to my cheap Sony earbuds. before i got too disheartened though i tried out configuring my Creative ZEN:M equalizer, and...the difference was night and day!! turns out the bass on the CX500 is overly present and just needs to be turned down. all of the online headphone reviews talk about a muddled bass...but i didn't expect it would be so horrendous.

in the end, the headphones are better, but i think when i want a less fussy, disorienting listening experience, i'll pop in my old Sony ones. however, and i'm by no means an audiophile, but i think i'm already spoiled by the CX 500's because i already want to see how the $200+ Shure models compare＾＾；

OHP:
visunavi
vkDB
2ch: 【好き？嫌い？】ヒトツメ【四つ目】

fans of 密室系-misshitsu-kei- (or also known as アングラ系-angura kei- overseas for some reason. cali, old-school ムック, and munimuni are good examples) have a hot new band, ヒトツメ-hitotsume-. their first mini-album, 「禁式」-kinshiki- sold fairly well, so the band initiated a consecutive release campaign. 「頽廃記憶短編①」-taihai kioku tanpen- and 「頽廃記憶短編②」. so how successful were these releases? i'll try to review the 2nd one in the consecutive single release.

「頽廃記憶短篇②」

◆収録曲◆
１：溺れる記憶-oboreru kioku-
２：眩しい声-mabushii koe-

発売日：２００８年11月５日(水)
価格：￥1.000
品番：AKCS-0006

発売元：秋葉原地下商会
販売元：ライカロリーポップ

while 「禁式」-kinshiki- introduced ヒトツメ's varied style, delivering heavy grungy numbers like "失くしたモノ-nakushita mono-" as well as vk-swing with "ママ＞僕-mama>boku-", their new set of releases shows a progression towards a much heavier sound overall.

①溺れる記憶-oboreru kioku- (drowning recollections) begins with a solid, heavy bassline that is suddenly...almost rudely interrupted by distorted guitars and group chanting. the vocalist, ミスター-Mister- (i luv his name xD), has gotten a lot more intense...there is just a chaos of instruments (exacerbated by poor production...>_>). the scatter and fury of the instruments are not what you will hear from typically heavier bands like Girugamesh...which is really interesting...the sound is definitely misshitsu-kei...but could rival heavier bands. while this heavy/misshitsu-kei juxtaposition is intriguing...the production is just a mess! when i first got into the band with 「禁式」-kinshiki-, i have to admit it was a bit cute...in a "this band is so talented but has to self-produce themselves in their mom's garage" type of cuteness...but now...

②眩しい声-mabushii koe- (brilliant voice) starts out with a single guitar providing backing chords for Mister's (saying "Mister" is just weird xD) vocals. you expect a ballad...at first...then it switches into a kind of misshitsu-swing progression. what sets this song apart is...well, nothing really...it's not a bad song...it's just "ママ＞僕-mama>boku-" all over again

結論を言えば-bottom line- both songs are ヒトツメ. both are great listening for 密室系-misshitsu-kei- fans. one thing i have realized during this release campaign is the prowess of ヒトツメ's guitarists (more so in the 1st release, 「頽廃記憶短編①」). they can really shred out some fast solos＾＾ which is not the misshitsu-kei atmospheric style i'm used to hearing. i would whole-heartily recommend this band...if it were not for the production...of not just this release, but all of their releases! it's like listening to a mono live studio take>_> i would recommend 「禁式」-kinshiki- for people new to ヒトツメ, this single is their weakest release...still alright though

♪♪♪♪♪3/5 (...d@mn the production is non-existent)

おススメCD-recommended cd-
for those interested in more ヒトツメ,
download here → 「禁式」

credit: na_cafe @Tainted World forums

and for those familiar with Bands @id, you can check out a live vid here ← (note:you have to have an account)

good times, good times...Ｕ＿Ｕ

i've been a RENTRER fan for over 4 years now...man, this is a hard to deal with disbandment. i just assumed a band with the talent that RENTRER EN SOI possessed would continue on for a long time...well, in the vk indies scene 8 years is long, but still...i imagined them reaching the heights that the GazettE and シド have...*sigh* i haven't been this down since Pierrot went bye-bye...well, Luvie was pretty hard too

visunavi had a blurb from the band:
「Rentrer en Soi (リエントール・アン・ソイ)とは仏語で『自己回帰』という意味。『回帰』というのは、“ひとまわりして、もとの所に帰ること”。」
"with Buddhist terminology, Rentrer en Soi means '自己回帰'-jiko kaiki- (return to oneself). 'returning to oneself' means maturing and coming back to your place of origin"

it's the same theme that the band has been using forever, but now, they've changed the meaning a bit. i guess they mean that they aren't dying, just returning into themselves...it's pretty cheesy, but...i got a little choked up reading it＾＾；

anyway, !!!Merry Christmas!!!

KYOKUTOU GIRL FRIEND

OHP
visuanavi 
vkDB
2ch thread: 【どくいり】KYOKUTOU GIRL FRIEND【きけん】

メンバー紹介-member intro-: top to bottom↓

林田倫堕-Hayashi Darinda- (vo.)
ケッチ-Kecchi- (...does his name mean "けち"-kechi- (stingy)? xD) (gu.)
サリー-Sarii- (Sally?) (ba.)
亜門-Amon- (dr.)

These guys are badass!

i initially thought that their music would be pretty hard because of the bloody-faced vocalist, Darinda...but instead it was more of the same-old vk swing/jazz...

"oh well, guess i'll have a look at some more artists...wait a second...the guitar work isn't half bad...and the bass too...and the vocalist isn't growl-y, but extremely raw...and the lyrics don't seem that sappy either＾＾"

and so i happily continued to listen to the rest of the single, and every track was stellar. if シド had a darker evil twin with the stripped down, no production style of the studs., then it would be this band.

oh, BTW, the single, it's 「未遂」-misui-

wondering what kinda guys made this kind of awesome music, i checked out there profile on visunavi (great source for a band's concept/profile)...and found none, instead they wrote this:

「プロフィール：不適切な表現が含まれている為、自主規制。」
"because there is some inappropiate language/expressions in our profile, we voluntarily choose to omit it(=自主規制)"

what cheeky, cheeky bastards xD i love'm already! the last time i've hard the phrase 自主規制-jishu kisei- used by a vk artist was in Pierrot's use of it as a song title, since "Haken Kreuz" was deemed inappropriate.
their whole theme is 不謹慎-fukinshin- (indiscretion). they have this "f@ck you" sort of feel. it's so refreshing＾＾ none of that stale macabre sh$t.

結論を言えば-bottom line-: it is very rare that i can become so fond of a band on just the first listen. i'm one of those guys who does not make decisions without testing/repeating something multiple times. but, the combination of stellar guitar work and a fresh new concept coupled with vk jazz makes this band a winner in my book.

i downloaded their first single because of the interesting cover. lookit, it's cool rightｗ ↓

発売日　2008年09月24日 水曜日
発売元　FAR EAST KANOJO
品番　FSE-0840
全3曲収録
仕様　紙ジャケット / 6Pブックレット / ピクチャーレーベル
価格　¥1,575（税込み）

収録曲　
①未遂-misui-　
②俺の彼女はリストカッター
- ore no kanojo ha wrist-cutter-
③国境の花嫁-kokkyou no hanayome-

here's the single on MF→　「未遂」
credit: ghostorgan@lj

right now i rate them
♪♪♪♪♪ 4 onpus/ out of 5
check'em out＾＾