J-CAST 20

Kaya - 繚乱
JUN - Funny Place
Moi dix Mois - Xanadu
アリス九號. - "13"
Kagrra, - さようなら

podOmatic
iTunes


I recorded this like two weeks ago? I never got around to posting it. I realized that I had to post it when I ended up in Chinatown whilst looking for the post office. I never realized that when Jenna said I was like, three blocks from it, that she meant...three blocks.

I really appreciate the comments and reviews I get for the show! They are the reason I keep making them. I am going to start to actively fill requests and broaden the artists I play as well. If you would like to suggest an artist or band, comment, email, etc and let me know! I don't have the artist or band, be prepared to help me get them!

As for the music in the show, Kaya's track is off his new single "桜花繚乱" and I believe I called it a b-side. I dont really know if "繚乱" is a b-side since it is technically in the title. It is a great single no matter how you label the tracks. Jun's song "Funny Place" is the only track on his lil' album with vocals. His voice is...cute? I don't really know, but he may have what it takes to be a niche solo artist. His pink hair reminds me of someone...

Moi dix Mois' "Xanadu" was a tough call. I like other songs on the album much more, but I felt that Xanadu really represents the heart of the album. Hopefully you like what you hear, get intrigued and buy the album. アリス九號.'s "JEWELS" feels like it came out ages ago, but I really like "13" so I thought I would throw it in. I would love a new album from them this year. The last track I played was Kagrra,'s "さようなら". It's a nice song from a solid album and you would be doing yourself a favor by listening to it.

minagoroshi //37564。

MIЯROR, MIЯROR on the wall...

Few the past few weeks since its release, I have been enamored with DéspairsRay's new album, MIRROR. It is fresh and new: it is fantastic. MIRROR is more...upbeat? MIRROR seems to be brighter as a whole than the DéspairsRay that I'm used to; however, that brightness holds dark shadows. MIRROR, to me, hides pain and suffering beneath the glass.

DAMNED is a great opener. It draws the listener to the album and that listener will almost certainly find it hard to leave. TRICKSTƏR starts off next and reminds me of some ol' school +DéspairsRay+ but quickly it turns into a combination of the classic and new DéspairsRay. The next track, MIЯROR, might just be my favorite. I start with this track so much that my iPod basically knows and almost moves to it without my fingers. SIXty∞NINe is next (and the last of the funkified character containing titles) and Tsukasa and Zero really shine. I cannot wait to see them live again, as I am sure this song will be stellar. It really is a shame I can't make it to J-Rock Revolution.

From 凍える夜に咲いた花 (I've always been a fan of this song) on, the album just makes for a great listening experience. The new mix of SCREEN is superb. I love it. A new favorite of mine, for sure. Lost Scene kind of disappears for me between SCREEN and Hollow, the later of which is awesome. Closer to Ideal is next and I still enjoy it, but I think it will be more fun live. Angeldust has a nice lil' intro and then breaks into some hardcore and classic DéspairsRay with a touch of evolution (I wish my Pokémon would evolve into beings this enjoyable...yes, I'm talking about you Starly). Squall rolls up next and makes me wish that DéspairsRay would get their asses back to NYC and play. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL I GET BACK TO JAPAN! Kaleidoscope closes out the album and its something different from Hizumi, Zero, Tsukasa, and Karyu.

I cannot tell you how many times I've played this album all the way through. It has become my album of choice while riding on the subway. It took me 1hour and 45minutes to get from 18th Street to Fulton Street on the 1-2-3 the other night, so that added a couple more spins to the list. DéspairsRay have come a long way, and I know several people are disappointed with the bands path since Coll:set, but I, for one, am finding myself listening to them more and more.


DéspairsRay FTW
Karyu, Tsukasa, Hizumi, Zero

minagoroshi //37564。

minagoroshi's MALICE MIZER in 5

Yu~ki (Bass)
Mana (Guitar & Synth)
Klaha (Vocal)
Közi (Guitar & Synth)
Kami (Eternal Blood Relative)
Gackt (ex-Vocal)
Tetsu (ex-Vocal)
Gaz (ex-Drum) [HA!]

I've always tried doing this with friends and it has always been difficult. Only last week, I did my final presentation on MALICE MIZER (I not only Aced it, I blew every else out of the water), and I have had the urge ever since to make a list of songs that best represent MALICE MIZER to me. This is extremely difficult and is most likely to change every five minutes. I'm going to list them in chronological order as well, to save painful thinking.

"ma chérie ～愛しい君へ～" (ma chérie ～itoshii kimi e～) is MALICE MIZER's flagship song to me. It is not only performed by all three vocalists, it became of the name of their fan club as well. It is sweet and romantic and it has Gackt singing Tetsu's original lyrics. The English version is good for a down home engrish giggle ^^

The next two songs are from MALICE MIZER's most commercially successful and widely popular album. "ヴェル・エール～空白の瞬間の中で～" (Bel Air ~kuuhaku no toki no naka de~) is a stunning piece of guitar driven, romantically tragic, and visual emotive music. The mini-movie that is Bel Air's PV showcases the decadent visual style and expression that is MALICE MIZER. ILLUMINATI, on the other hand, is a sexually perverted, fetish drenched, blood orgy. It's dark sexuality, taboo subject matter, shocking PV, thumping bass and club-like playability make this probably my favorite MALICE MIZER song. It was also the third song by them that I heard.

I knew I had to choose a song or two from "薔薇の聖堂" (bara no seidou) but when it came down to it, I only had room for one. This was a tough one: for the sake of diversity I choose the operatic "真夜中に交わした約束" (mayonaka ni kawashita yakusoku). This song was released as a maxi-single and was the theme of their silent movie "薔薇の婚礼" (bara no konrei). To me, "真夜中に交わした約束", shows a new side to MALICE MIZER. It is the epicenter of "薔薇の聖堂", best representing the story and central theme of the album. Klaha's vocal talents also shine throughout the piece.

Beast of Blood was the easiest choice for me. This song, with is 5 simple chords, blew me away the first time I heard it. It is the song that sucked me into MALICE MIZER. It was first song that I heard (a week before they announced their hiatus). The well-mixed English and Japanese lyrics perfectly portray the image of a vampire in London. The visual style (*see top photo) is by far my favorite. Simple. Dark. Elegant. Yu~ki as never looked better. It is the first song in the MALICE MIZER section of my iTunes and deservedly so. Beast of Blood is my favorite MALICE MIZER song, and I will not be surprised if it is yours as well.

Recap:
ma chérie ～愛しい君へ～
ヴェル・エール～空白の瞬間の中で～
ILLUMINATI
真夜中に交わした約束
Beast of Blood

That is my list and I'm sticking to it (until I change my mind).

*Close Calls in Chronological Order
記憶と空 (kioku to sora)
Transylvania
premier amour
虚無の中での遊戯 (kyomu no naka de no yuugi)
白い肌に狂う愛と哀しみの輪舞 (shiroi hada ni kuruu ai to kanashimi no rondo)
Gardenia
Garnet～禁断の園へ～ (Garnet ~kindan no sono e~)
幻想楽園 (gensou rakuen)

minagoroshi //37564。

and then there was blog.

For the first post to this soon to be active blog, I would like to start by expressing my love for Moi dix Moi's new album, DIXANADU.
Mana has succeeded in created a world with this album, a world in which his message is expertly expressed. The only complaint I have is that the fantastic "neo pessimist" and "Last Temptation" are included. I would much rather see them as b-sides on singles as they are remakes. After so many years of fandom in the j-rock and visual kei scenes, one would think I would be used to it by now: I'm not.
Hopefully, 2007 will be the year that Moi dix Mois plays in the USA. I saw them in Paris when Juka, Kazuno, and Tohru were still in the project (check the DVD, I'm in it with some other lovely friends) and I am anxious to see how Mana and Moi dix Mois have evolved. I do not want to have to wait until next year when I am in Japan and going to school to see them.
As I am asked this often, I would like to answer this question once and for all.

"Do you prefer Juka's or Seth's vocals in Moi dix Mois?"

I prefer Juka's vocals, but that in no way should suggest I dislike Seth's. I enjoy both of them but there is something in Juka's voice that appeals to me more than Seth's.

minagoroshi //37564。