| But expect a few new updates within the next week or so.
First of all, big newses on the Gackt front.
Ren is officially out of JOB according to all recent reports. I was never a big Masa fan (I'm still not even though I try to follow Spiky), but Ren was Gackt's bassist and celloist, I dunno, his leaving seems like an even bigger deal to me. Anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm still trying to get over this news...
On a happier note, The Sixth Day is out officially as of today, and I preordered it from CDJapan but it's still in the mail. I've heard some really good albeit brief reviews of this CD, but when I get my hands on it (either as the physical album or as MP3 form, whichever is first) I'll write a nice long review of the whole CD and detail the changes as best I can. Hopefully it will help convince some of you who are still unsure if you want to buy it.
A little bit'o news, slightly off topic:
I'm in training to get air clearance on my college's local radio station, and if I get air time I'll be doing a Jrock show (with some pop here and there). You can get the station locally if you live in/around the Pioneer Valley area in Massachusetts WMUA 91.1), but if not (because most of you don't =P), the show is available streaming from the web at wmua.org. This is a really good radio station that plays a really good variety of music and political shows (so even if I don't get a show, listen to WMUA anyway!). I would take both AIM and phoned-in song requests, so I'm hoping lots of people will listen =D
Keep your fingers crossed for me! I'll know the status of my show in a few weeks =) And if I get the show I'll try my best to record each one of my sets onto mp3s and upload them somewhere so people can listen if they can't make my show.
If anyone already has their hands on Sixth Day, please post your reactions. I've only heard one so far and am curious what people think ^_^
~ M.C.Varmazi | comments: 5 comments or Leave a comment   |
| | Current Music: | Gackt - Lust for blood | | Subject: | the 12Gatsu project | | Time: | 11:51 pm | | Current Mood: | determined |
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| please support the 12G project and translate 12Gatsu no Love Song into your language of choice!
We're trying to get Gackt fans all over the world to translate 12Gatsu into as many languages as possible (before Gackt gets to them, lol!) If you have any level of proficiency in ANY language, please help out the 12G project!
English translations of the original Japanese are welcome. The number of translations are unlimited -- no one translation is "final", so if someone else has done French already, contribute your own version! Please pass the link around -- the more languages the better!!!!
[edit] We would LOVE to send this to Gackt as a Christmas present -- so in a way, the clock is ticking!!!! Get as many people as you can to help out!
Thanks guys ^_^ | | comments: Leave a comment |
| [edit] http://gacktolicious.gackt.us/scans.html <-- Scans of the lyrics of the new songs from Crescent, as well as scans of the Moon lyrics booklet that came with Crescent.
Let it be said that when an artist finds their niche, it is no sin for that artist to explore within that niche and never leave it. Many really good bands have their own signature sound, and they will rarely stray from that sound. They know it works, they know that they're comfortable with it, they know that their fans like it (and even expect it). In this regard, one might find Gackt to be a curious creature. If you listen to his music, from old to new, in succession, the overall impression you'll get is that he actually dislikes being comfortable. Overall, many of his songs share a similar mood to them, but outside of that it is hard to group them. We ask ourselves, what genre is he exactly? Some songs are rock, some are pop, and some are, well, some are just Gackt.
Gackt, from now on, should be both a noun and an adjective: “that is a very Gackt album.” It is the only adjective that is truly appropriate for describing Crescent. Sure, you could say that this album is one of the most hard rock albums he has yet to release, but there are examples here and there that would disprove even that classification. Crescent is Gackt, and that’s as far as I dare venture in terms of general description.
1. Dybbuk
It’s anyone’s guess how Gackt found this word (if he’s like me, he googled it and found it to be a synonym of ‘oni’ or demon.) Pronounced di-buk (not dye-bark or whatever some people are claiming), it’s a spirit that takes over a body and cannot be released until it’s exorcized—a perfect title for this song, which is the best definition of musical schizophrenia if there ever was one. Starting with early 90s-like beat box rhythms, it changes to hard-core rock, then to a rap coupled with Gackt singing really heavy trills (or just an exaggerated vibrato?), then to a beautiful electronically-distorted falsetto. This motif repeats in varied forms throughout the song, and as disgustingly weird as it sounds, let me assure you this song is not just mesmerizing, but thoroughly addictive as well. The electronically distorted bits of Gackt’s freakishly high falsetto are just gorgeous and especially effective when juxtaposed with the harsh and headbang-able preceding hard rock and rap parts. (In some ways, this piece made me think of One More Time by Daft Punk, which for the most part is a really danceable song, but it has these very strange respites where no one is quite sure what to do—continue dancing or just stand there?) Usually the first track on Gackt’s albums are interesting introductions to the rest of the CD, but Dybbuk is utterly repeatable and easily one of the best songs on this album.
2. Mind Forest
Dybbuk segues into this next track, where Gackt has continued with a hard rock style, mixed with some interesting synth winds. The main part of the song is gentle and unassuming, and in classic Gackt style, it leads up to a bombastic chorus where the guitars become violently angry and Gackt follows suit appropriately. This piece, interestingly, does not show a great deal of Gackt’s vocal range both technically or emotionally. Instead of one-upping the accompanying instruments, he is in partnership with them, and they definitely have their shining moments in this song.
3. Tsuki no Uta — already reviewed for the Tsuki no Uta single
4. Kimi ga Matteiru Kara
Well, finally! Nearly a year after we first heard this song in concert, Gackt finally decided to end the drama and release this song officially. It seems like a little bit of a throwback to his earlier days, a more restrained but still angst-y, slow rock song. It’s a good old fashioned Gackt mix, the random high pitched electronic elements, the aggressive orchestral arrangement, and the subdued guitars. The real star, of course, is the pain and angst that permeate the vocals—this is the kind of song back in the Mars days where Gackt would probably sing on his knees, doubled over. By itself, the song is solid, but it isn’t all that impressive in comparison to the rest of the album, but it serves its function well as a bridge between Tsuki no Uta and Solitary.
5. Solitary
This is definitely the song where Crescent’s classification as rock gets thrown out the window. We hear children and ocean waves at the beginning, and as they fade out we simply hear Gackt with his acoustic guitar (perhaps a Moonchild influence?) It seems like he is singing to himself as he walks down the beach, not performing for anyone else. Gackt does some interesting things in this song which I don’t believe he has done before, namely the vocal ‘bending’ he does in some of the more sustained notes. In some places it sounds more like a purposeful movement, others it seems more incidental. This technique definitely makes things more interesting, as Solitary, like Hoshi no Suna, has no climactic chorus, it is rather straight forward. Regardless, this song has a wonderfully simplistic and unpretentious charm.
6. Hoshi no Suna — already reviewed for the Tsuki no Uta single
7. Lust for Blood
Some interesting comparisons to hard rock/goth rock contemporaries have been made in regard to this song. Definitely a highlight of the album, Lust for Blood is definitely a new direction for Gackt’s music. The beloved orchestral background is now coupled with distorted guitars at a volume we’ve not really heard yet in Gackt’s music. It is easy to imagine this song being played on any local rock/alternative station; it’s headbang-able, catchy with a very solid and dark composition and amazing vocals. This song will without a doubt be a new anthem for Gackt fans worldwide.
8. White Eyes
Another catchy rock piece, this one is slightly more “upbeat?” than Lust for Blood. Like many of Gackt’s faster songs, this one is very much a driving song, with a great deal of swift, driven undertones, slightly similar to those heard in Wasurenai Kara and Speed Master. However, Gackt has incorporated his newest distorted guitar sound with these older ideas, and this combination made yet another great rock anthem.
9. Kimi Ga Oikaketa Yume — already reviewed for the Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume single
Note: I don’t know what it is with Gackt putting happy poppy songs right after something dark and angsty (he did this with Rain and Another World on Moon!) but I wish he’d stop doing this. The change in mood is just too abrupt.
10. Last Song
Dripping with longing for the past/a lost loved one, probably the most common theme in Gackt’s works, Last Song plays with the temporal as he switches back and forth from nostalgia to a passionate resignation to the inevitable. The song opens with the sound of a needle being placed on a turntable as it spins, with a slight segue into a familiar soft acoustic guitar motif. Gackt sings gently and solemnly over the guitar, and his voice seems distant and faded, like an old recording. As the piece climaxes to the chorus in a very Gackt-like fashion, the song becomes clear and vibrant. He looses all timidity and his voice is filled with a bold sadness. The final, more climactic chorus is a change into major key, where Gackt’s mood seems to have changed from subdued hope to almost angry, painful realization. When this section ends, the song also comes to an end as the turntable spins and the needle is lifted; the trip through the painful memories is over. In some ways, this song is similar to Tsuki no Uta in terms of overall tone and composition, but it definitely stands on its own as beautiful, quality work.
11. Birdcage — already reviewed for the Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume single
12. Orenji no Taiyou duet with Hyde
For most Gackt fans, this song needs no introduction. Bits and pieces had been played both on the behind-the-scenes videos of Moonchild and in the Moonchild movie itself. Ever since the movie’s release, this duet between Gackt and Hyde (the lead singer for the legendary band L’arc en Ciel) has long been anticipated, and did not disappoint. Both Gackt and Hyde’s voice are warm and mellifluous, complementing each other magnificently in this moving and poignant piece. Hyde’s part is especially worth noting as he takes more of the harmony role in the duet, where he gets to show off his often neglected (but strong and versatile) lower vocal range. Gackt, on the other hand, has the higher melody, where he also has his chance to flaunt his mastery of the higher range. Both singers concentrate on their true vocal strengths beautifully and the pairing is extremely musically effective. Such a combination makes Orenji no Taiyo a poignant and masterful end to this already very memorable album.
It’s hard not to say with each album that Gackt releases that it’s his best album ever, but because I can’t resist the temptation, I’ll say it anyway: this is Gackt’s best album ever. You just can’t miss with this album, it definitely belong in every Gackt fan’s collection.
On a side note, Crescent is physically the largest of all the Gackt CDs so far. Where does Gackt expect his fans to store his CDs if they won’t fit in any standard CD rack, I wonder? Perhaps with each release the packaging will become increasingly larger.
((“In the year 2010: Gackt announces that his new album, Asteroid B-612, is both 6 feet high and sentient—this album buys YOU!”))
~ M.C.Varmazi http://www.acesquad.com | | comments: 7 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Gackt - Last Song | | Subject: | new upload =P | | Time: | 05:37 pm | | Current Mood: | ecstatic |
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| it didn't take long for the rips of last song and solitude to come out the day the single did~!!
so, i've taken the pv rip mp3 down...... coz now i have the real thing =) ohhhhh, they're so good.
the entire cd is ripped by JMR (i'm assuming as those 3 letters were all over the mp3s) and i've put all 4 tracks into a zip file. i got the files from a bittorrent link, but i realize not everyone has bittorrent or knows how to work it, so that's why i'm hosting it.
you can download them here:
http://www.acesquad.com/gackt/lastsong.zip
same deal as the previous thing i posted. be nice on my server (THIS IS A 23 MB FILE SO PLEASE BE NICE) and distribute the FILE to your friends, not the link. the link will be down in a week.
the mp3 is 192 kbps, so the quality is SUPER NICE.
enjoy AND BUY THE CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
[edit] I'm posting my full reviews of both songs this weekend. I already have them drafted up, but don't have time to type them up and proof them.
They'll be posted on this blog, on my gackt website (http://www.acesquad.com/gackt under articles) and most importantly, on the Shiroi Heya jrock blog =) (http://jrock.pitas.com)
First impressions:
Both are beautiful, of course, but have a few things in common with Tsuki no Uta and Hoshi no Suna in terms of instrument choice and composition. This is not to say they are similar, but it's not like Fragrance coming out of no where =P Last Song, strangely, strikes me as a possible ending theme song to an anime (even more so than Tsuki no Uta to be honest).
And Solitary I believe is very strongly tied into the final scene of Moonchild, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't heard the song or seen the movie yet.
I'll elaborate in full details on Saturday. Make sure to come back and read ^__^ | | comments: 7 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Gackt - Last Song | | Subject: | gosh, FINALLY | | Time: | 10:29 pm | | Current Mood: | happy |
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| I have finally obtained a rip of Last Song! A review is coming soon, I promise (I'm pretty busy with NaNoWriMo, but I'll write one by the end of the week and post it here I).
.... you didn't think I'd tell you that I finally had this song, and then not share the song with all of you, did you?? OF COURSE NOT!!
http://www.acesquad.com/gackt/lastsong.mp3
You can download the song there -- which was sent to me by YukkiCamui, and GENEROUSLY ripped by Gacktisgod directly from the PV.
You will notice that the quality is bad and that there is some intermittent speaking. This is all from the PV. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the PV is about so I can't elaborate =\
NOTE that I am taking the file down by the end of THIS week, I don't want my server to die. So please download the file ONCE and then send the FILE to your friends (not the link to the file!!!)
Also PLEASE do not post the link to messageboards, journals, without asking me first. (Remember that I have four Gackt quizzes which I allow people to direct link from. Let's not totally kill my server, please!)
Much love,
MCV
(PS: No, I do not have the PV. I wish I did!!) | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| Just a disclaimer to everyone: if you want at least weekly, if not more than weekly, detailed news updates on Gackt as well as Job members, I highly highly recommend ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) gakuhai. I know I'm practically giving audience members away, but I don't mind losing to such a good journal. I'll still be posting just the more significant news along with reviews and opinions (heh, as if you all care what I think, right?), so if you ever get lonely come back to Gackt_ ^_~
Anyway, so as everyone knows, the highly anticipated new album has been officially titles "Crescent", as in Moon, get it? Just as a refresher, this album comes out on Dec 3, NOT to be confused with the Nov 12 single "Last Song." Gackt is definitely carrying this Moon metaphor as far as it'll go, isn't he?
My guess is that this title is a signal that this phase of his work -- the Moon phase -- is waning and a new stage of his work will begin soon (I too am beating this moon metaphor to death =P). Moon, Tsuki no Uta, and now Crescent -- recognition, tribute, and then goodbye?
If Gackt's moving on to new sounds, I hope he continues to experiment with new instruments and styles, ala Fragrance, especially. It seemed to be a bit of a sleeper hit, first overshadowed by Another World, but after the hype from that fizzled, we've been seeing live performances of Fragrance more and more thankfully. With songs like Birdcage, Tsuki no Uta and Hoshi no Suna moving forward while looking backward, I think Gackt is starting to find some stable footing in his musical style. Of course, that isn't to say I don't want his style to change -- hey, this is Gackt we're talking about, we'll barely recognize him in 3 months ;)
That is all for now..... if any of you plan on buying Bujingai (http://www.bujingai.com !), let me know how it is. I don't have a playstation nor do I plan on getting one just to play this game, but I am curious if it's any good. It's being released in Japan on Dec 25, no word on an export verison. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| Download it!
http://bunko.theppn.org/details.php?id=566
Bittorrent download. I haven't finished downloading this yet, but I hear it's the DVD rip.
Subtitles you can download here: MoonChild.srt
put the file in the same place you download the movie (.avi file) and your media player should automatically load the subtitles. (It should work on WinMedia if you have a recent version, prbably DivX or Vobsub will work as well.)
Enjoy =)
~ MCV | | comments: 7 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Gackt - Solitude~regret~ and Kimi ga Matteiru Kara (Jyogen) | | Subject: | The latest | | Time: | 03:12 pm | | Current Mood: | cheerful |
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| I have several sources for this post, but I must give mad credits to gakuhai, this person is absolutely incredible and I worship her skillz~
Anyway so here's the good stuff..... as we all know, Gackt's been releasing about a BAGILLION things as of late, including an autobiography no less! (And the DVDs of his latest tour -- the Kagen no Tsuki and Jyogen no Tsuki DVDs. I personally recommend Jyogen but either one is quality.) Gackt's releases goes a bit like this:
* Nov 12, new maxi single. All bets are that this will be the long-awaited Kimi Ga Matteiru Kara, which he originally performed in his concert last Christmas season, and performed yet again in the latest tour (as can be heard on Jyogen no Tsuki). The Jyogen version of Matteiru Kara is far better than the first time he performed it, he's done a lot of tweaking (good tweaking!) so don't be surprised if he finally officially released this song.
* Dec 3, NEW ALBUM!! It will be a few songs shorter than his previous 3 albums, but still it's an ALBUM with tons of new stuff, so be VERY excited. Of course, his latest singles will be on there as well (expect Kimi Ga Oikaketa Yume and Tsuki no Uta, but probably Birdcage and Hoshi no Suna will be on there too)... so technically, about six or so of the songs will be new. I'm hoping the piano piece he performed (also on Jyogen), Solitude~regret~ will be on there as well, it's very complex and (my opinion) by far his best piano solo to date. If you loved his Malice Mizer "regret" solo, this surpasses it by lightyears, so let's hope to hear it on an album soon =D
* ALSO Dec 3, re-release of Junigatsu no Love Song, according to Shinseido, in Mandarin. As expected. I personally haven't bought the English one yet, so I probably won't get this one either, but I do think it's cute how he's releasing these around Christmas for all his international fans. I hope he eventually puts all the different versions on one maxi single so we can hear them without having to buy 10 singles =) (I personally would love to hear a French Junigatsu ^__^)
And Dec 17 is the release date for Platinum box 4, but I don't think that's nearly as big a deal as the stuff above (how many people buy the platinum boxes?? they're so expensive!)
Everyone's talking about Gackt's latest appearance on HeyHeyHey, where both he and Chacha looked rather.... ghettothug. Gackt had a black beanie hat on, with glasses and baggy black clothes, black cargos..... it was amusing and =I= thought it was cute, but other people found it quite disturbing. I am willing to make a bet that this look is NOT permanent, so nobody freak out =P You know how Gackt is with his phases ;P
Don't forget to pre-order your Gackt 2004 calendar! I had the 2002 calendar and it was the most deliciously beautiful thing on my wall for a year =) And the posters are huge and reusable, so you can keep them up for a loooooong time ^_^
~ M.C.V. | | comments: 4 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | lasgo - something | | Subject: | It is done! | | Time: | 03:11 pm | | Current Mood: | hot |
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| http://www.acesquad.com/gackt/
Shameless plug, but I just scanned three new magazines for your downloading/viewing pleasure:
Frau July 03 (no, not the one with Gackt prancing about nude, the one with the woman every Gackt fan hates aka Eriko)
Fools Mate August 03
CD Hits! August 03
I can do shameless plugs on this journal once in a while can't I?
(If not, please forgive me and disregard this post ^_^)
~ MCV | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| Hi everyone, as you might know I'm the Gackt reviewer for Shiroi Heya (the best. job. ever.). I'm a little slow in getting my reviews out, but for what it's worth, here's my take on Tsuki no Uta. Comments, critiques, and alternate takes are welcomed and encouraged!!
~ M.C.Varmazi
~~~~
Review of the single Tsuki no Uta by Gackt
Released on June 11th, this is Gackt's ... gagillionth maxi single, whose title song serves as the ending theme song to the new anime Texhnolyze. The album art is reminiscent of the anime's artistic style, and the cover folds out to reveal the lyrics printed on one side and a small poster revealing the full cover picture (very cool). While the cover art, album design and even paper texture toys with the relationship between the organic and mechanical, the genuine and superficial, this latest single from Gackt is about as deep and real as music gets.
track 01 Tsuki no Uta (translation: Moon Song)
It's a bit of a puzzle when you think about this song's context. It's the ending theme song for the anime Texhnolyze, whose first episode I watched with great confusion. It's no secret that usually the ending or opening theme song has nothing to do with the anime, but there is just enough of a link between the dark and mysterious ambience of the anime and the song that one wonders if Gackt actually wrote this song for an anime that has nothing to do (thus far) with dreams of love. Regardless, this song is of the best caliber and truly showcases Gackt's more serious songwriting and composing talents, and no Gackt fan--or Jrock fan--should miss out on giving this fascinating and somewhat eerie ballad a good listen.
The strings and a strong vocal comprise this composition, but in its simplicity it is remarkably effective. Soft and unobtrusive, this piece will nonetheless completely grab your attention. It is the epitome of what a ballad should be--the music is not melodramatic or cheesy, the words are poetry. The entire song is candid in its emotion, but at the same time it is not overdone or flashy, it is meant to softly woo instead of overpower. Both a extreme longing and willingness for total dedication come across in the tone of the guitar and vocal solos, and by this, Gackt's newest ballad is both astoundingly effective and poignant.
Tsuki no Uta basically has a simple acoustic guitar carrying the melody, for the most part it is very subdued, giving the song a somewhat "unplugged" feel up until chorus kicks in. With the chorus the convictions of both the music and lyrics become stronger, the string (violin, guitar, and general orchestral) accompaniment affirm the vows in the touching lyrics.
A really remarkable point in this piece is when Gackt's voice soars at about 3:12. For the first time in a long time Gackt really made a point to show off his incredible vocal range to highlight the delicate emotions as play here. Here his voice just completely takes off--not a fade out of a slowly decrescendoing note--more like his voice rises above the listeners into the clouds beyond our hearing, still sustained and determined (perhaps something like an angel returning back to the heavens still heralding his divine message? That's probably going a bit too far). After this point, the melody returns bolder still, only to return to the simple acoustic guitar motif yet again. The piece's ending is meaningful as well, as after the ending lyrics fade, the final chord arpeggio is struck and it ascends, leaving the listener with a feeling of curiosity and longing instead of completion and closure. The ethereal quality the song builds during the dramatic chorus is left behind for a darker sense of mystery by the finish of the ending notes.
track 02 Hoshi no Suna (translation: Stardust)
The voice that was full of subdued yet hopeful vows here suffers with loneliness and loss after love, and as is often requisite for an effective song about lost love, there is a healthy bit of angst as well. As is well known, generally Gackt's b-sides on singles are the diametric opposite of the title track, but this piece somewhat parallels Tsuki no Uta in its soft ballad quality; however, the mood is noticeably darker and the composition is simpler--just Gackt at a piano. There is no dramatic buildup to a bold chorus, rather one feels as though Gackt is reading a letter to someone in his life with as much restraint as possible, but his true feelings seem to leak out in small crescendos here and there giving the whole song a deliciously delicate poignancy. One feels at any moment that the song could just stop and Gackt might just rest his head on the piano keys and start to weep.
It might be easy to just pass over this song as something unremarkable as entire piece hovers around pianissimo volume and will probably not grab an idle mind's attention; however, this song's strong point is its tact. It is dealing with a touchy issue, an issue that one can easily get overly angry or melodramatic about, but Gackt remains strong with what he doesn't say but expresses through the piano. His keystrokes become bolder, highlighting each syllable of the final word he fights to keep from saying almost too strongly: "aishiteru" -- "I love you." Gackt's performance is so real that one wonders if his pain is a recent memory that disintegrated into nothing but stardust?...
track 03 Tsuki no Uta (instrumental)
track 03 Hoshi no Suna (instrumental)
Normally the instrumentals are nothing remarkable, but in the case of these two songs, especially Tsuki no Uta, the masterful performance of Gackt and GacktJOB on the strings should not be missed.
Overall, this maxi single is HIGHLY recommended for any Gackt or Japanese music fan. Often fans will only like one of the two main tracks on the single and as a result refrain from buying a CD, but in this case, the Tsuki no Uta single is money very well spent.
~ M.C.Varmazi, http://www.acesquad.com | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Gackt - Tsuki no Uta (live on Music Station 6/6) | | Subject: | Tsuki no Uta!! | | Time: | 04:38 pm | | Current Mood: | ecstatic |
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| The single is coming out (with the b-side Hoshi no Suna) on the 11th. YAY! And this single, IMO, is one of the best singles Gackt has ever made, and no I'm not kidding.
You can watch Gackt perform Tsuki no Uta live on Music Station (6/6) here!
The clip is downloadable (I managed to save it to my HD) so it's well worth watching. This performance is really incredible as Gackt doubles his voice only for main choruses, so all other spots we hear his real solo voice performing, which has become a little bit rare as of late. He sings oustandingly, he hits every note with his own wonderful accuracy and his falsetto doesn't waver or fall flat, which is even better.
The song itself is absolutely beautiful. It's like a more melancholy Leeca (if you really need a comparison, I think this song is fantastic standing on its own). I can't wait to see a PV for this song (if he makes one).
You can also hear small clips of both Tsuki no Uta (Moon Song) and Hoshi no Suna (which either means Star Sand, as in the star-shaped sand which DOES exist somewhere in Japan, or Star Dust, it's kind of debatable) on Hmv.co.jp's page for the single here:
http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail.asp?sku=1998107
Isn't the cover art really cool? =D I'd love a poster of that.
Anyway, Hoshi no Suna is just as excellent as Tsuki no Uta; if Tsuki no Uta is like Leeca, Hoshi no Suna is like Story--maybe not quite as melodramatic but still very poignant. Both of these songs have me pretty speechless, they definitely are old-school Gackt. It's seemingly unlike him to release a single of oldschool music without a pop song to balance it out, but this single manages to surprise. I can't wait to buy it, and I'm sure once you guys all hear it you'll be getting it too =)
[edit]
Oh and yes the MS performance of Tsuki no Uta is the full version (or at least a full-er version), so you get to hear more than twice as much as the tv-size rip provides, and believe me the stuff we haven't heard is even better than the stuff we have ;) | | comments: 9 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Naughty By Nature - Hip Hop Hooray | | Subject: | I'm poor. | | Time: | 06:22 pm | | Current Mood: | bouncy |
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| So buy my Gackt stuff! Yes, I'm selling. Cheap!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2525585204
Posters and magazines to follow. All in awesome condition, and I'll throw some goodies in if the price is right ;)
[/plug]
BTW, Tsuki no Uta, the theme song for a new anime "Technolyze" (or something) is going to be released on a single on 6/11. The TV-size rip is readily available on the net, and it's a very impressive song. Think of the soft part of Birdcage, add in a little more Leeca influence, and make it into a song. It's beautiful and I'll definitely be buying the single to hear its full version. Gackt continues to impress. | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
| Thanks to the god-like Fran, I have managed to hear Gackt's as-yet-unreleased song "Kimi ga Matteiru Kara". Which is the name of the song we THOUGHT "Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume" was going to be!!
I have to say I am extremely, extremely impressed with this song. It's no secret that I like Gackt's darker stuff, so I love this song a lot. The guitar elements are very remeniscent of MARS-songs and Secret Garden, and the angsty singing is very Seki-Rei. There are a few more new guitar bits too, and the orchestrals in the bg. *drools* WOW. I am so in love with this song, I wish he'd release on on CD sometime soon!!
Think Asrun Dream, Secret Garden and Seki Rei mixed with Chacha's "Kagero" and you might have a general idea... if you even can mentally mix those songs. Ok, not quite as angsty as Seki Rei but it's close.
I am really unbelievably impressed. He hasn't made songs like this for quite a while, so this is almost something of a nostalgia trip. Granted, this could have fit in well on MOON as well but it has an older sound to it... not as much of an electronic element, as an emphasis on the good old guitar/orchestra mix. Not as pop/rock either, just good old angst/slow-rock. Very nice.
And I haven't heard the B-side to "Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume" which is called "bird cage" yet.... so *perhaps* Gackt renamed Matteiru Kara to Bird Cage and *bam* we have yet another excellent B-side. I doubt this, but I can hope =) I really want this song on CD -soon-.
I will release more info as I learn it about Bird Cage and any possible future for Matteiru Kara. Right now, you can only hear this song on the MOON tour (so its live and the audio isn't too great, but still impressive.) I plan on getting Bird Cage, er, Oikaketa Yume, this week, so as soon as I get it I'll post a review... but by that time I'm sure many of you will have downloaded the mp3 anyway =P | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | gackt - kimi ga oikaketa yume live on popjam | | Subject: | the dream you chased | | Time: | 12:55 pm | | Current Mood: | content |
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| kimi ga oikaketa yume was just recently performed on popjam!! and some awesome people in japan, namely the god-like MJ (who i probably owe my left arm for all the wonderful work she's done for us Gackt fans outside of Japan), already did a video capture of this performance so we all can hear what this new single is going to sound like.
there's a mirror for it here: http://claudius74.plusserver.de/test/gackt.htm however i have to warn you that a) it's slow, and b) it's only temporary. so tomorrow it might not work. best suggestion is to probably look for it on winmx or kazaa in a few days because everyone will have it.
the amazing amazing NS with her m4d skills has already translated this song!! you can read the translation here: http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=nyanone&itemid=55756
i have just finished watching this video and have a few thoughts
1) MAN, just a YEAR ago he didn't have crowds nearly this crazy. it's insane the screaming that goes on now. i still am kind of in shock, they are really SCREAMING at him! i remember back in the mizerable days no one knew who he was. so crazy
2) this song sounds very pop, but i don't dislike it. i think if you like kimi no tameni dekiru koto, this is along those line except faster and with a bit more of a rock edge. but i can definitely see myself hearing this at JASmart or something.
3) TOSHI IS PLAYING DRUMS!!! toshi is playing drums... toshi... aka the drummer who is supposed to be with spiky now... *is confused*
over all impressions: it's kind of hard to hear the song that well over all the SCREAMING that's going on, but it's a pretty decent song. i see this as possibly being a left over track from MOON because it could pretty well fit in. i wouldn't probably skip this track if it had been on MOON, actually, had it replaced ANOTHER WORLD i might have liked MOON a lot more.
like a lot of gackt's songs this song is strangely addictive the more you listen to it. it's a *little* underwhelming in that it doesn't follow the general gackt formula of a soft start crescendoing to a dramatic bridge. it just kind of starts as it finishes, a steady stream of music. perhaps in this sense it's a little boring, but the lyrics, i find, make up for that (thanks again NS =D). since the song is really pushing the listener to be steadfast and strong, it makes sense musically that it follows that same idea.
all in all, not a bad song at all. the single officially comes out the 19th (wednesday) so go grab it! i will try to get it thursday and give a review of the whole cd, including the bside "bird cage".
btw, gackt's theatrics on the stage make this video fun to watch (he starts off in a very anime-bishonen pose, eyes downcast with one hand high in the air) and the whole group is very casual, in nice jeans =D gackt is wearing possibly the most low-key outfit i've ever seen on him. | | comments: Leave a comment |
| My bad. Actually, many bads, but yes, my bad.
Gackt's new single is NOT going to be called "Kimi matteiru kara" thankfully, but rather "Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume", release date March 19th. I don't know like, any, Japanese, but according to an anonymous source on the SG messageboard, the title means "You're the Dream I Chased". I am 99% sure I am buying this CD (provided downtown NYC doesn't get bombed and the store doesn't get destroyed; and actually in that case I won't even be alive to buy it @_@) so I will post a review and probably an mp3.
And, well, Gackt never stops, does he? There's going to be ANOTHER tour, starting in May!!!!! Don't ask me how to get access to tickets, I'm as clueless as most.
I've heard that the yahoo.jp auctions can bear fruit (VERY VERY expensive fruit), and I've heard a few stories of people actually just GOING to the concert and hanging outside waiting for someone to sell their ticket @_@ I wish I could go but I can't even afford to fly there~~ All I know is that as soon as the winter 2002 tour comes out on DVD I am so buying it (and reviewing it here, of course!) I got an emailed description of the concert from someone who went, and it sounded absolutely fantastic. I don't want to spoil it, but it will be worth buying, let me say that much ^_^
~ M | | comments: 6 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | Pizzicato Five - a perfect world (single version) | | Subject: | Lotsa bits of Gackt news | | Time: | 11:27 am | | Current Mood: | cold |
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| As always, the fans at the Sawasdee Gackt messageboard have the hot information, and I will pass it along to anyone who hasn't heard yet:
Gackt is releasing a new single in February around Valentines day, on the 10th I've been told. He seems to be going with the "kara" theme, because the new single's title will be "Kimiga Matteirukara" (Because you are waiting). Here's the source of this info if you want to hear it straight from the people in the know.
Kimiga Matteirukara... hmmm... Wasurenaikara.... any bets on how many times the word "dakishimete" will be used in this song? >=P Oh well, if the b-side is even half as cool as Doomsday this single will be a definite must-have. I'll keep you posted if I find out anymore about this.
Also, the Moonchild movie (starring Gackt and Hyde of L'arc en Ciel) website has been updated with quite a few new features (http://www.moonchild-movie.com). If you go to the "movie" section there is a trailer and 2 features you can watch. The movie's release is nearly upon us =) And to add to the excitement, a Gackt/Hyde photobook is being released too! You can check out some (unfortunately very small) pictures at http://www.wani.co.jp
{{A little FYI for the Moonchild movie site, to enter on the splash page click the green button near the bottom of the page ^^;}}
And finally, your favorite Gackt fansite and mine has moved to a new location:
Cool Like Plastic is now at its own domain name, so if you want to see the best fansite on the web, you have to feel the Fiyaa!! ... Fiyaa.com =)
Specifically CLP is here: http://fiyaa.com/gackt/
And Dearlings, the best Gackt fanlisting out there, is at: http://fiyaa.com/dearlings/
(lol and NO these sites are not mine, they're by the wonderful wonderful Fran Code!!!)
Hope everyone had a happy new year =) Take care! | | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment |
| There is Gackt news...... I want to make sure everyone hears about this, too.
Gackt re-released Junigatsu no Love Song on November 27 (2002). The CD contains: The Japanese rerelease, the instrumental rerelease, and the new ENGLISH VERSION of Junigatsu no Love Song, called "December Love".
I've noticed mp3s of these rereleases are virtually impossible to find on WinMX so I have taken the liberty of uploading the mp3s to my school account: http://www.columbia.edu/~mv2008/main.html (They're right there on the index page, you don't need to go searching).
http://www.baka.dk also has the mp3s uploaded, but sometimes their server goes down. (so now you have two choices!)
Leggiero on the SG Messageboard posted the lyrics to December Love on her website: http://www.angelfire.com/music4/phoenix2006/December_Love.txt Reading the lyrics definitely help in understanding Gackt, although his English has drastically improved since FIYAAAA!!!!! =) And I believe he wrote the English version himself (if not with a little help from Chacha....) Go Gackt!!
I've uploaded these mp3s on the hopes that everyone who hears these songs will buy the CD, especially those of you not living in Japan. If many of us show our support for Gackt outside of the US for his English version of Junigatsu, it will definitely show our gratitude to him for releasing one of his songs in our language.
I can't put it any better than this: http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?id=61303;article=15550
This =is= a gift to all Gackt's English-speaking fans, not a marketing move. So let's show our appreciation =) (It's NOT expensive, it comes with a lot of goodies, and if you have the first Junigatsu, this new one is like the "sequel" to the first! It's really neat ^_^)
As for the actual new version itself, there are some differences in the new Japanese version, and the English version was quite surprising. Even a little disconcerting at first (hearing Gackt "speaking" English is something you really can't fully prepare yourself for....) He utilized an R&B style for this song, which is very =very= different from his norm.
I thought this was an interesting experiment and gesture on his part. Listen to it and tell me what you think, too!
~ M | | comments: 2 comments or Leave a comment |
| | Current Music: | chisato - kissin the moonlight | | Subject: | Still alive~~ | | Time: | 11:00 pm | | Current Mood: | calm |
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| Hi everyone,
I just wanted to make sure you all know that I'm still updating this journal on as-it-comes basis (as in, as the news comes =P)
Masa's (who is one of Gackt's guitarists, and one of his closest friends) band, Spiky, seems to have really taken off! Shinseido is releasing his new/first single, "Spiky on the way", and I believe all copies sold. Check out the Shinseido site here: http://www.shinseido.co.jp/hogaku/contents4/spiky.html I am very happy to report that I managed to get a Spiky CD via a very very kind and generous person, Rowen. By her request, and out of respect for Masa, she has asked that we not post MP3 copies of Spiky's songs on the net.
All is not lost, however! Masa has provided little clips of his songs on his website, here: http://seventh.thirdcore.ne.jp/spiky-disc.html
There hasn't been a whole lot of Gackt news to report lately, and I personally think this is a good thing. Gackt definitely needs a break, but that doesn't mean he's disappeared altogether! He performed a couple lives lately, which I managed to watch, and let me say he seems -really- tired as of late. I believe that the past few lives he did he *may* have been lipsynching to some degree which he has NEVER had to do before; however, this is just MY belief and by no means fact. I sincerely hope I'm wrong. But if this is the case, I'm glad Gackt is resting because overworking himself could potentially permanently ruin his voice (we don't want that!!)
Anyway, he and a lot of other popular Japanese and Chinese bands/celebs got together a few weeks ago in Beijing and gave a concert to commemorate good Chinese/Japanese relations (a pretty neat PR move if you ask me), even Glay was there! I believe more details about how this all went will be coming out little by little, unfortunately I know very little about it. I really encourage you all to check out the Sawasdee Gackt messageboard for posts by people who are following this: http://disc.server.com/Indices/61303.html
Gackt seems to be preparing for his concerts (I believe the dates are from late October to late December -- that may not be exactly right but it's around that time.) I'm sure this third concert tour is going to rock, I only wish I could see it in person ^_^;;
In related Gackt news, Sawasdee Gackt--which is in my opinion THE best Gackt website on the net--has been down for a little while. SG is THE definitive Gackt website -- the hottest news is told here, she has all the information, photos, lyrics, everything. If you love this site as much as I do, show Jug (the webmaster) your support on the BBS =)
~M
PS: If I get something *slightly* wrong in my postings, please dont take offense. I am not claiming to be a perfect resource here, I'm just passing on what I know. | | comments: 1 comment or Leave a comment |
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