When musicians lose the people they love,
sometimes even their own bandmates,
to the dreaded 'D' word,
we usually write songs in memory of them.
But why?
Is it a way to express our grief,
or do we hope for the deceased to hear our thoughts?
Even though,
you know,
religion says otherwise,
I like to think that they can hear me.
My thoughts,
my grief,
my regrets.
Sometimes,
thinking that they can hear us,
thinking that our songs can reach them,
helps us to live lives a little easier.
A little less painful.
Maybe it helps our conscience a little too.
Like,
at least our regrets haven't gone unheard.
Like,
the other party heard our cries of regret,
and were understanding of our pain,
and probably forgave us for that.
Sometimes lies are essential to move on in life.
Even though it's wrong,
sometimes they make life a little more bearable to cope with.
2010-12-29
2010-12-19
PLEDGE
Did a piano cover of PLEDGE.
It's not the full song (skipped the strings solo and guitar solo, heh)
It's the first time I ever tried to record a cover and upload it so,,,
yeah...
WAYYYYY nervous.
I was practicing CALM ENVY (planned to do that song too) until my hands turned sweaty while playing (that was how nervous I was just during practice alone, lol)
Despite the background noise (and that irritating kid I swear I will strangle if I know who that is),
please enjoy the song!! =)
Oh, and while you're at it,
please also check out Shaura's guitarist & keyboardist, KAZ's recorded piano version of Silent Night =)
2010-12-11
1988
Indeed, it's the saddest thing when people pass away.
I guess, what made it shocking for me is the fact that he's the same age as me!!
Ok, so another 2 more days and he'd be 22.
It's scary isn't it?
When I was young, I thought only OLD people would die (and of course, those unlucky people who get killed in accidents)
Then, people in their 30s and 40s started dying.
And I got really paranoid about friends in that age range.
Mid-life crisis much, I thought.
And of course, there are those stupid young teens who think that suicide is cool,
and the next thing you know...
Still, honestly,
I never thought people my age would...
you know,
die.
Somehow, it just drives home the point,
like an arrow hitting the bullseye,
like a bullet right through the heart,
Life is fragile.
It's even more fragile than you think it is.
R.I.P Taku (vocalist of Heisei Ishin)
I guess, what made it shocking for me is the fact that he's the same age as me!!
Ok, so another 2 more days and he'd be 22.
It's scary isn't it?
When I was young, I thought only OLD people would die (and of course, those unlucky people who get killed in accidents)
Then, people in their 30s and 40s started dying.
And I got really paranoid about friends in that age range.
Mid-life crisis much, I thought.
And of course, there are those stupid young teens who think that suicide is cool,
and the next thing you know...
Still, honestly,
I never thought people my age would...
you know,
die.
Somehow, it just drives home the point,
like an arrow hitting the bullseye,
like a bullet right through the heart,
Life is fragile.
It's even more fragile than you think it is.
R.I.P Taku (vocalist of Heisei Ishin)
2010-11-24
また君に恋してる
Recommended by Takanori.
Sakamoto Fuyumi-san has a traditional Japanese way of singing,
but I think it's really nice.
She still has good control over her tone and resonance.
And also, the latest songs these days are like really boring to listen to.
A traditional song brings out new flavor, new influence and new ideas for song-writing.
Saying that, I've not kept in contact with the latest songs on radio.
Songs (or rather artistes) nowadays (and here I'll take a dig at Justin Bieber) have no substance.
Unable to *ahem* SING and rely overly much on autotune and vocal effects,
and song arrangers to make their songs catchy and suitable for radio play.
Sometimes I wonder if people are deaf.
I'm listening not to the overall song,
but also the details that make it nice.
The dynamics, and the instrumental arrangement so on and so forth.
I probably am getting more anal in songs I deem nice (lol)
2010-11-10
SUGIZOさん
SUGIZO-san has been a inspiring musician for me.
Reading his blog entries, I feel like I've so much to learn regarding music,
yet SUGIZO-san himself has not reached the end himself either.
Honestly, if it wasn't for SUGIZO-san,
I probably would never have been so patient with Creative Music Ensemble class,
cos we all hate it.
We think it's useless and painful to the ears,
and most of us skip that class.
But I gotta admit,
the soundscape we get from that class,
the extreme possibilities in music,
even if I won't ever deal with electronic noise music,
or Musique Concrète,
I can learn to use those sounds and adapting into the mainstream pop/rock.
Who says it isn't possible?
SUGIZO-san has explored so much,
and reading his blog entries,
I feel that he thinks a lot,
and dwells so deeply into music just to give the best appropriate sound.
He truly is a real musician.
I feel so inadequate in comparison.
And I think he's really amazing.
I feel that I have so much to learn from him,
and reading his blog entries never fail to amaze me.
How someone so great can be so humbled by the musicians before him.
People like Bob Dylan etc. (I open my eyes wide and stare in disbelief, LOL) he pays great tribute and respect to for all he has learned from them.
Really,
I should stop dissing those musicians I dislike (aka Robert Johnson) and learn to respect them for their place in the history of music.
For every musician played a huge role in influencing the late generation of musicians and helped to shape the various genres and style of music that followed.
If anyone has the time, please head over to SUGIZO-san's blog and have a read.
It's amazing.
His thoughts on life and music will blow you away, like it did me.
Reading his blog entries, I feel like I've so much to learn regarding music,
yet SUGIZO-san himself has not reached the end himself either.
Honestly, if it wasn't for SUGIZO-san,
I probably would never have been so patient with Creative Music Ensemble class,
cos we all hate it.
We think it's useless and painful to the ears,
and most of us skip that class.
But I gotta admit,
the soundscape we get from that class,
the extreme possibilities in music,
even if I won't ever deal with electronic noise music,
or Musique Concrète,
I can learn to use those sounds and adapting into the mainstream pop/rock.
Who says it isn't possible?
SUGIZO-san has explored so much,
and reading his blog entries,
I feel that he thinks a lot,
and dwells so deeply into music just to give the best appropriate sound.
He truly is a real musician.
I feel so inadequate in comparison.
And I think he's really amazing.
I feel that I have so much to learn from him,
and reading his blog entries never fail to amaze me.
How someone so great can be so humbled by the musicians before him.
People like Bob Dylan etc. (I open my eyes wide and stare in disbelief, LOL) he pays great tribute and respect to for all he has learned from them.
Really,
I should stop dissing those musicians I dislike (aka Robert Johnson) and learn to respect them for their place in the history of music.
For every musician played a huge role in influencing the late generation of musicians and helped to shape the various genres and style of music that followed.
If anyone has the time, please head over to SUGIZO-san's blog and have a read.
It's amazing.
His thoughts on life and music will blow you away, like it did me.
2010-10-21
Conceived Sorrow
I'll be sessioning for Jiro's band.
Saying that though, I'm only playing one song - Dir En Grey's "Conceived Sorrow".
Oh yes, you must be wondering who's Jiro.
Jiro is Allie's friend (if you are wondering who's Allie, she's my classmate).
I'm playing cos Allie and Nigel aren't free that night.
My first out-of-church and out-of-school gig =)
Exciting much.
Date: 28 October 1010
Venue: Home Club (near Boat Quay. Please google the exact address)
Time: 9pm onwards (I think)
Oh I forgot to mention.
I'll be on keyboard.
That's why I said "play" and not "sing", lol
Saying that though, I'm only playing one song - Dir En Grey's "Conceived Sorrow".
Oh yes, you must be wondering who's Jiro.
Jiro is Allie's friend (if you are wondering who's Allie, she's my classmate).
I'm playing cos Allie and Nigel aren't free that night.
My first out-of-church and out-of-school gig =)
Exciting much.
Date: 28 October 1010
Venue: Home Club (near Boat Quay. Please google the exact address)
Time: 9pm onwards (I think)
Oh I forgot to mention.
I'll be on keyboard.
That's why I said "play" and not "sing", lol
2010-10-07
Queen of the Night
I officially declare people who can sing Mozart's Magic Flute "Queen of the Night" aria not humans
The highest note in the whole song is a freaking F 2 octaves above the middle C.
F1, or the F in the C1 register.
Damn, even with my screech and utmost attempt to hit the note,
I can only manage a D1, a minor 3rd below.
And screech cos I've never trained my whistle tone,
hence it gets uncomfortable for me once I enter that territory.
*shivers*
Maybe it's time to train whistle tone *maniac smile*
I think, if I train the whistle tone,
my range may expand yet a little more,
then maybe I can hit that minor 3rd that she so easily hits in the video.
Then Yuemun will curse me for being able to hit so high =PP
He was like ヽ((◎д◎ ))ゝ when he heard me sing that guitar solo in 未成年, LOL
It was just a Bb2 sitting comfortably in my falsetto.
Not even into my whistle tone yet.
Ok, maybe slightly into the whistle, lol.
It was kinda like the bridge between falsetto and whistle?
Ha ha...
He was already (ﾟ-ﾟ；) 凸 when I gave him an answer some time back for the frequency of the lion dance drum, LOL.
I love it when people go "WTF!?" or "WTH!?" when you do something they don't expect, ha ha.
The look on their faces? Priceless.
(And of course, for everything else, there's MasterCard)
I'm not the kind who can still sit around comfortably when there are others out there who can reach that F1 I can't reachヾ(▼ﾍ▼；)
I must reach that note too, someday.
2010-09-05
Official
You saw, didn't you?
You heard, didn't you?
Honestly, somehow I feel happy for them.
It's like a step forward,
yet it's not like he's replacing you.
Your place there is irreplaceable, even now.
Remember how I used to be angry over this?
How I said I would never let it happen?
Perhaps much as I try, I'm really forgetting you.
I know you'd be glad for them too.
There's nothing much I can do.
We all gotta take steps forward towards the future.
Slowly, painfully, but surely.
But still, I'll keep that promise with you.
I will walk towards a future we promised.
It's the only thing I can do now.
So watch over me.
Watch over us.
You heard, didn't you?
Honestly, somehow I feel happy for them.
It's like a step forward,
yet it's not like he's replacing you.
Your place there is irreplaceable, even now.
Remember how I used to be angry over this?
How I said I would never let it happen?
Perhaps much as I try, I'm really forgetting you.
I know you'd be glad for them too.
There's nothing much I can do.
We all gotta take steps forward towards the future.
Slowly, painfully, but surely.
But still, I'll keep that promise with you.
I will walk towards a future we promised.
It's the only thing I can do now.
So watch over me.
Watch over us.
2010-09-04
Je m'appelle Hélène
This song is beautiful.
Simple yet beautiful.
The lyrics (or at least the translations) are simple too.
Simple yet touching.
Not to mention Hélène Rolles was an absolute beauty in her younger days as you can see in the video.
Sourced the translations off Yahoo Answers.
Hélène
My name is Hélène
I am a girl
Like any other
Hélène
I have my joys and my pains
They make my life
As they do yours
I would like to find love
Simply to find love
Hélène
My name is Hélène
I am a girl
Like any other
Hélène
Even though my nights are full
Of dreams and poems
(I'm sad that) I have nothing else
I would like to find love
Simply to find love
And even
If my photo is in
All the newspapers
Every week
No one
Waits for me at night
When I return home late
No one makes my heart beat
When the projecters turn off
Hélène
My name is Hélène
I am a girl
Like any other
I would like to find love
Simply to find love
And even
When on tv
You watch me
Smiling and Singing
No one
Waits for me at night
When I return home late
No one makes my heart beat
When the projecters turn off
Hélène
My name is Hélène
I am a girl
Like any other
Hélène
And all my pains
Will be forgotten
Someday
When I will find love
When I will find love
When I will find love
When I will find love
Simple, yet really touching isn't it?
In a sense, I feel like I can relate to her feelings, to her lyrics.
It's a girl thing, probably (lol).
I only wonder if she found love.
2010-08-17
Singing
It's scary isn't it?
I've never thought of what I will do if one day I lose my voice.
It's something we always take for granted.
I can imagine just how helpless he is feeling,
being unable to speak, much less sing.
What will I do if one day I can't sing anymore?
I really don't know.
Recover soon will ya?
My mind is already starting to run wild with ominous possibilities.
I'm such a positive person, aren't I? (lol)
I'm imagining how you must have felt then,
and how you're feeling now.
I can't imagine you not singing anymore.
Somehow hearing your songs drives home the possibility that one day I may never hear you sing again.
Everyone's having ominous thoughts, aren't they?
But you'll get better.
That's what I'm believing,
that's what I'm praying for.
And before I forget,
I'll do my best, and heal, and more than ever, I'll be full of energy, my voice will be better than before and I'll be more cuter than...ah- no I won't lol.
NO,
you'll never get cuter (lol)
You and "cute" definitely don't go together.
But if you can still crack jokes at this time,
you're probably fine.
Still, for you right now,
the only thing I can do for you is to be your voice.
I've never thought of what I will do if one day I lose my voice.
It's something we always take for granted.
I can imagine just how helpless he is feeling,
being unable to speak, much less sing.
What will I do if one day I can't sing anymore?
I really don't know.
Recover soon will ya?
My mind is already starting to run wild with ominous possibilities.
I'm such a positive person, aren't I? (lol)
I'm imagining how you must have felt then,
and how you're feeling now.
I can't imagine you not singing anymore.
Somehow hearing your songs drives home the possibility that one day I may never hear you sing again.
Everyone's having ominous thoughts, aren't they?
But you'll get better.
That's what I'm believing,
that's what I'm praying for.
And before I forget,
I'll do my best, and heal, and more than ever, I'll be full of energy, my voice will be better than before and I'll be more cuter than...ah- no I won't lol.
NO,
you'll never get cuter (lol)
You and "cute" definitely don't go together.
But if you can still crack jokes at this time,
you're probably fine.
Still, for you right now,
the only thing I can do for you is to be your voice.
2010-08-12
Hey
I realized.
You must have known all along.
I never forgot.
I thought I did.
But in fact, I was just afraid, wasn't I?
Afraid to go back to go back to that time,
afraid to face up to my feelings, afraid that I would lose control of myself all over again,
like I did a few months back.
Even on that day, I was afraid.
Afraid to unlock what I hid away back then.
Even now, I'm just a scaredy-cat.
The pain never lessened despite the time that passed by, did it?
Not only me,
but for the others too,
we still miss you.
There are only memories left,
and no new memories to create.
Life is so cruel.
Seems like everyone has to go through pain.
And it's always the living who suffers and overcomes (or sometimes not)
But still, I'll be here.
Crybaby, I'll lend you my shoulder when you need to cry (lol)
I may not be the best listener,
I may not say the most comforting, endearing words,
but I'll be here when you need a shoulder to cry on.
Even if the pain in our hearts doesn't subside,
we'll continue to face the future bravely.
It's a promise alright, crybaby?
You must have known all along.
I never forgot.
I thought I did.
But in fact, I was just afraid, wasn't I?
Afraid to go back to go back to that time,
afraid to face up to my feelings, afraid that I would lose control of myself all over again,
like I did a few months back.
Even on that day, I was afraid.
Afraid to unlock what I hid away back then.
Even now, I'm just a scaredy-cat.
The pain never lessened despite the time that passed by, did it?
Not only me,
but for the others too,
we still miss you.
There are only memories left,
and no new memories to create.
Life is so cruel.
Seems like everyone has to go through pain.
And it's always the living who suffers and overcomes (or sometimes not)
But still, I'll be here.
Crybaby, I'll lend you my shoulder when you need to cry (lol)
I may not be the best listener,
I may not say the most comforting, endearing words,
but I'll be here when you need a shoulder to cry on.
Even if the pain in our hearts doesn't subside,
we'll continue to face the future bravely.
It's a promise alright, crybaby?
2010-08-09
National Day
1 year.
It's been exactly a year, on this dreaded day.
It's so fast isn't it?
I'm writing again, I promised you I would.
You know,
It's been 1 year.
I've moved on,
We've all moved on.
Are you happy to see us move on?
But looking back at the year that passed,
I get scared.
Because it seems like I'm slowly forgetting you.
I can't hear your voice, I can't see you.
I can't feel you.
Tell me, what must I do,
so that I can hear your voice again,
so that I can feel you by my side again.
I don't want to forget.
But maybe I'm not forgetting,
I'm just hiding it, locking it up.
You say I can face today with a smile.
But can I really do so?
3 weeks.
I've isolated myself from my best friends for 3 weeks.
As much as possible, I tried to hurt myself,
punish myself for forgetting you.
It's really stupid,
but I don't want to be happy at the expense of forgetting someone who meant so much to me.
I hate it when the whole country is celebrating.
I'm really bitter aren't I? (苦笑)
To wish for something to happen on this day that this country will never celebrate National Day again.
I'm just directing everything at,
putting all the blame on National Day.
But honestly, even if the country doesn't have National Day anymore,
it really won't take away the fact that you left us on this day, will it?
It won't take away the pain will it?
I don't understand myself anymore.
It'd hurt for you to see me like this, wouldn't it?
苦笑。
It's only been 6 months since I last wrote to you on your birthday.
Only 6 months, and I am already forgetting you.
I really am such a useless friend.
I'm such a pathetic excuse for a human being.
I'm sorry.
I'm crying again.
And I promised you I wouldn't cry.
I said I wouldn't cry, but at times I still cry for you.
1 year.
I really don't want to forget.
What must I do so as not to forget you?
Memories of that fateful day keeps coming back.
How I laughed and enjoyed myself, so ignorant of the fact that you were already gone,
How I cried when I found out,
How everything became dark in my world.
How I hated myself for enjoying myself 1 year back.
I promise you,
this day, and your birthday,
I will only keep it for you.
It's been exactly a year, on this dreaded day.
It's so fast isn't it?
I'm writing again, I promised you I would.
You know,
It's been 1 year.
I've moved on,
We've all moved on.
Are you happy to see us move on?
But looking back at the year that passed,
I get scared.
Because it seems like I'm slowly forgetting you.
I can't hear your voice, I can't see you.
I can't feel you.
Tell me, what must I do,
so that I can hear your voice again,
so that I can feel you by my side again.
I don't want to forget.
But maybe I'm not forgetting,
I'm just hiding it, locking it up.
You say I can face today with a smile.
But can I really do so?
3 weeks.
I've isolated myself from my best friends for 3 weeks.
As much as possible, I tried to hurt myself,
punish myself for forgetting you.
It's really stupid,
but I don't want to be happy at the expense of forgetting someone who meant so much to me.
I hate it when the whole country is celebrating.
I'm really bitter aren't I? (苦笑)
To wish for something to happen on this day that this country will never celebrate National Day again.
I'm just directing everything at,
putting all the blame on National Day.
But honestly, even if the country doesn't have National Day anymore,
it really won't take away the fact that you left us on this day, will it?
It won't take away the pain will it?
I don't understand myself anymore.
It'd hurt for you to see me like this, wouldn't it?
苦笑。
It's only been 6 months since I last wrote to you on your birthday.
Only 6 months, and I am already forgetting you.
I really am such a useless friend.
I'm such a pathetic excuse for a human being.
I'm sorry.
I'm crying again.
And I promised you I wouldn't cry.
I said I wouldn't cry, but at times I still cry for you.
1 year.
I really don't want to forget.
What must I do so as not to forget you?
Memories of that fateful day keeps coming back.
How I laughed and enjoyed myself, so ignorant of the fact that you were already gone,
How I cried when I found out,
How everything became dark in my world.
How I hated myself for enjoying myself 1 year back.
I promise you,
this day, and your birthday,
I will only keep it for you.
2010-08-02
Sundown Festival report
Here's a little feedback from LM.C's guitarist, Aiji, after the band's first ever performance here in sunny Singapore!
TADAIMA☆
Just a while ago, we have arrived at Narita and are now in the car going back home.
By the way...the fact that here in Tokyo is hotter than Singapore, the city right on the equator...
Whaaaaaaat's going ooooooooooon!
I would get exhausted from this heat easily, but no time to get tired like that so I'll just keep on movin'☆
Really, Singapore was the greatest!
I did have totally confirmed the existence of all those fans in Singapore, so I wanna make sure to come back to do an actual live there!
It becomes one of the places where I would love to visit someday in my private time.
With like this, I surely got the sparkling memories of Singapore as well as the sunburn on my nose....it had become such wonderful days! LOL
For all those audiences in Singapore, all staffs in the event, all artists performed there, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for such splendid time!!
-Aiji.
TADAIMA☆
Just a while ago, we have arrived at Narita and are now in the car going back home.
By the way...the fact that here in Tokyo is hotter than Singapore, the city right on the equator...
Whaaaaaaat's going ooooooooooon!
I would get exhausted from this heat easily, but no time to get tired like that so I'll just keep on movin'☆
Really, Singapore was the greatest!
I did have totally confirmed the existence of all those fans in Singapore, so I wanna make sure to come back to do an actual live there!
It becomes one of the places where I would love to visit someday in my private time.
With like this, I surely got the sparkling memories of Singapore as well as the sunburn on my nose....it had become such wonderful days! LOL
For all those audiences in Singapore, all staffs in the event, all artists performed there, THANK YOU VERY MUCH for such splendid time!!
-Aiji.
2010-07-21
Familiarity
Somehow, his feelings just feel...
Familiar.
I wouldn't say nostalgic,
cos no one in their right frame of mind would ever want to feel this way,
me included.
That kind of "It's nothing but a bad dream", and "He'll wake up. Definitely." feeling.
What is it called? Denial?
Sometimes denial is essential to carry on with life, isn't it?
Sometimes reality hurts so much, it's impossible to face it head-on.
But there will definitely come a day when we can overcome, look up again and walk on ahead.
That's what I want to believe.
Still, there will come a day when I'll probably lose my mind all over again.
And that day is drawing near.
I only hope,
After that day,
I can still stand strong.
You're a selfish person...
I think this is the first time I've wanted to hit you with all my might.
Even when you were guilty of doing something, I thought, "It's Daisuke so it can’t be helped," and I laughed it off and forgave you...
What happened to you?
You should have called me at the last moment, idiot.
Surely, there were a lot of hardships... sorry.
I’m sorry.
A day ago we were talking through email about your band.
You told me that you were about to make a good album.
Hurry up and let me listen to it.
You were always a clumsy and risky person... I was worried.
I don’t feel any emptiness or actual sensation. Even now, I imagine you saying, “Are you surprised? Sorry.” And it feels like you’ll just pop up and... I can’t help but feel that way.
At this point I’d forgive you, so please appear... Daisuke.
As expected, living is very hard.
From now on, I will think of things that I can do for you.
Depend as much as you want on the person you loved
and wanted to meet the most.
Please sleep soundly.
Let there be no more suffering...
Because I'm going to go meet you today (By this i think he means at the funeral)
-Kyo, Dir en Grey
Familiar.
I wouldn't say nostalgic,
cos no one in their right frame of mind would ever want to feel this way,
me included.
That kind of "It's nothing but a bad dream", and "He'll wake up. Definitely." feeling.
What is it called? Denial?
Sometimes denial is essential to carry on with life, isn't it?
Sometimes reality hurts so much, it's impossible to face it head-on.
But there will definitely come a day when we can overcome, look up again and walk on ahead.
That's what I want to believe.
Still, there will come a day when I'll probably lose my mind all over again.
And that day is drawing near.
I only hope,
After that day,
I can still stand strong.
You're a selfish person...
I think this is the first time I've wanted to hit you with all my might.
Even when you were guilty of doing something, I thought, "It's Daisuke so it can’t be helped," and I laughed it off and forgave you...
What happened to you?
You should have called me at the last moment, idiot.
Surely, there were a lot of hardships... sorry.
I’m sorry.
A day ago we were talking through email about your band.
You told me that you were about to make a good album.
Hurry up and let me listen to it.
You were always a clumsy and risky person... I was worried.
I don’t feel any emptiness or actual sensation. Even now, I imagine you saying, “Are you surprised? Sorry.” And it feels like you’ll just pop up and... I can’t help but feel that way.
At this point I’d forgive you, so please appear... Daisuke.
As expected, living is very hard.
From now on, I will think of things that I can do for you.
Depend as much as you want on the person you loved
and wanted to meet the most.
Please sleep soundly.
Let there be no more suffering...
Because I'm going to go meet you today (By this i think he means at the funeral)
-Kyo, Dir en Grey
2010-06-30
Face up
I am only human, so there are things which I want to hide, however, within my lyrics I don’t want to hide these things and just face them, I think.
because in the end, when you lie, you won’t be able to understand yourself. Although, it seems, there are lies that need to be told in the world, too…
For me, even lying to myself like that would be absolutely impossible. However, I am able to spit all these thoughts out in my lyrics, all the weakness and all the helplessness. I think it is extremely important to look at that together with my own strength.
I don’t want to lie. Without lies and without compromise, without losing my hearing to the things around me, I think it is necessary for me to keep listening to people properly. I will try to listen in all cases necessary and live my fullest to the nerves, I think.
Somehow your words brought me back again.
To stand strong,
to not dwell on what I want to hide.
Because in the end, I'll probably still hide them.
Yet, I think,,
Maybe you're right.
Let's not lie anymore.
My lies have blurred the distinction between me, and the person I want to be.
So much so that,
even until now,
I'm still struggling to find my true self.
Wanting to find my true self,
yet not really wanting to know what my true self really am like.
Ok, so let's not put it as "lies".
Facades.
Masks.
Pretend being strong?
You're right.
I'm tough on the outside.
But that's no show.
No, there's definitely a part of me who's headstrong,
who's tough.
This is the facade I show to everyone.
But that which I hide is the one that contradicts the facade I show to the world.
Maybe it's time to face up to it.
Even tough people cry at times.
I cry, maybe a little more than other tough people out there.
But that's part of me.
The part which I hated so much.
The part which I tried so hard to erase for so long.
So much so that I try to harden my heart.
I don't open my heart.
But then, my character is also such that I belong to the loner group.
I am not someone to be best buddies with everyone; I’d just want to be friends with the people I am interested in.
Interested in?
I wouldn't dare say that.
But people who have somehow managed to make me feel for them.
Feel, perhaps a burden.
Feel, perhaps a kind of compassion and gentleness.
I'll admit.
My heart's been closed for the past many years.
And only a few managed to steal a spot in there.
I won't say who, but I think many of you know who they are.
These people I treasure,
because somehow they mean a lot to me.
And I'd give up the world for them.
Not only for those who have stolen my heart,
but also for those I feel for.
And I'm not saying,
I'm gonna open up my heart to anyone who comes knocking.
I'm not saying I'm gonna unlock these locks that protect me from the outside world.
All I'm saying is that,
I think,
Maybe it's time for me to look at myself directly,
my strengths, my weaknesses,
the different sides to myself, my hidden hurts and pains.
without running away.
without lying to myself and pretending they don't exist.
But on a side note,
You and I,
We are similar aren't we?
Complex characters,
so headstrong,
so... self-dependant? (Is that the word? To always rely on our own strengths)
So similar,
Is this the trademark of Aquarians I wonder? (lol)
because in the end, when you lie, you won’t be able to understand yourself. Although, it seems, there are lies that need to be told in the world, too…
For me, even lying to myself like that would be absolutely impossible. However, I am able to spit all these thoughts out in my lyrics, all the weakness and all the helplessness. I think it is extremely important to look at that together with my own strength.
I don’t want to lie. Without lies and without compromise, without losing my hearing to the things around me, I think it is necessary for me to keep listening to people properly. I will try to listen in all cases necessary and live my fullest to the nerves, I think.
Somehow your words brought me back again.
To stand strong,
to not dwell on what I want to hide.
Because in the end, I'll probably still hide them.
Yet, I think,,
Maybe you're right.
Let's not lie anymore.
My lies have blurred the distinction between me, and the person I want to be.
So much so that,
even until now,
I'm still struggling to find my true self.
Wanting to find my true self,
yet not really wanting to know what my true self really am like.
Ok, so let's not put it as "lies".
Facades.
Masks.
Pretend being strong?
You're right.
I'm tough on the outside.
But that's no show.
No, there's definitely a part of me who's headstrong,
who's tough.
This is the facade I show to everyone.
But that which I hide is the one that contradicts the facade I show to the world.
Maybe it's time to face up to it.
Even tough people cry at times.
I cry, maybe a little more than other tough people out there.
But that's part of me.
The part which I hated so much.
The part which I tried so hard to erase for so long.
So much so that I try to harden my heart.
I don't open my heart.
But then, my character is also such that I belong to the loner group.
I am not someone to be best buddies with everyone; I’d just want to be friends with the people I am interested in.
Interested in?
I wouldn't dare say that.
But people who have somehow managed to make me feel for them.
Feel, perhaps a burden.
Feel, perhaps a kind of compassion and gentleness.
I'll admit.
My heart's been closed for the past many years.
And only a few managed to steal a spot in there.
I won't say who, but I think many of you know who they are.
These people I treasure,
because somehow they mean a lot to me.
And I'd give up the world for them.
Not only for those who have stolen my heart,
but also for those I feel for.
And I'm not saying,
I'm gonna open up my heart to anyone who comes knocking.
I'm not saying I'm gonna unlock these locks that protect me from the outside world.
All I'm saying is that,
I think,
Maybe it's time for me to look at myself directly,
my strengths, my weaknesses,
the different sides to myself, my hidden hurts and pains.
without running away.
without lying to myself and pretending they don't exist.
But on a side note,
You and I,
We are similar aren't we?
Complex characters,
so headstrong,
so... self-dependant? (Is that the word? To always rely on our own strengths)
So similar,
Is this the trademark of Aquarians I wonder? (lol)
2010-06-25
“Nemuri Kyoshiro Burai-hikae” Soundtrack Complete Commentary
Here is my complete commentary for all the songs included in the
“Nemuri Kyoshiro Burai-hikae” original soundtrack album.
I warn you, it’s long! (^_^;)
Please give it a read through when you have the time and inclination!
眠狂四郎 (Nemuri Kyoshiro)
This melody symbolizes and provides direction for the soundtrack as a whole.
The very first part of this motif, which is the start of everything,
was inspired by GACKT’s dignified performance as Kyoshiro.
Kyoshiro is a man who is burdened with solitude, sorrow,
and resentment – a samurai of mixed parentage who is standing in the wilderness.
This melody employs a number of different sounds
including shakuhachi (Japanese flute), piano, harpsichord, and strings,
and is centered on piano sounds that create an extremely lonely atmosphere.
This song also features looping shakuhachi, Noh flute,
and drum loops that evoke the abstract music of the 1990’s.
I think that this blend of a Bristol-style British beat and a Japanese feeling turned out
to be both beautiful and sublime.
This song portrays Kyoshiro’s nightmare of suddenly opening a door
and finding a solemn Mass in progress.
With that image in mind, the pipe organ section cuts in and out unexpectedly.
The solo portion resembles the music that the British band Japan
was making in their final years around 1981-1982,
with a blend of analog synthesizer and a flute that cuts in suddenly.
I’m particularly fond of the counter-melody created by the interplay
between the violin and the viola.
悪徳謀議 (Akutoku Bougi)
The original draft of this song was born about seven years ago
(perhaps my most dedicated fans will recognize it).
The most important element of this song,
which is focused on the irregular arpeggio of the baritone guitar,
is the beautiful sho (Japanese flute) played by my dear friend Naoyuki Manabe.
The song starts out resembling gagaku (traditional court music) and ancient Japanese music.
But as the song progresses, everything falls apart and the sho takes on a flavor of insanity.
No matter how hard you might look,
there aren’t many musicians anywhere in the world
who can play the sho in such a violent way!
Manabe’s wonderful performance alternately calls up vivid images of ancient Japan,
bamboo organs, and melancholy, futuristic tones.
The end of the song features chaotic wadaiko (Japanese drums).
This 180 BPM ensemble of raging wadaiko is like crazy drum'n'Bass played on
traditional Japanese instruments, and I think that it is quite innovative.
ヲモイなぞる (Omoi Nazoru)
The most important and central role on this soundtrack
is played by the approach to orchestration.
The key to this song can be found in those themes and melodies,
which gave birth to the ensemble, the minimum line of the introduction,
and the image of a solemn Mass.
I feel that this song serves as one of the models for the SUGIZO-style orchestration
that I was pursuing so diligently for this project.
All of the song’s elements connect harmoniously and coexist perfectly,
from the harp that resembles drops of falling water, the Middle Eastern-style female voice,
and Origa’s splendid singing in the style of a Russian Orthodox choir
(although from the background of the story, it really should be Portuguese style…)
I find this song both beautiful and sorrowful,
and bet that you can’t listen to it without shivering.
黒十字～UNDER;CORE (Kurojyuji~Under;core)
My main goal for this song was to bring out a sensation of dread and fear.
Actually, this song was brought to life when I remixed and further developed
a song from my H.ART CHAOS album of nine years ago.
The temporary title was “Black Mass,”
and it grew from images of bizarre ceremonies, sacrifices, and death throes.
This song also shows Origa’s choral singing to superb effect.
Listening to this song, you might feel salvation, coldness, or perhaps terror.
美保代 (Mihoyo)
This song is based on the heroine of the story,
and is probably my favorite of these orchestral pieces.
It refers to sadness and pain that has been borne for many long years,
and a love that goes beyond that and enfolds everything in its embrace.
And at the end it beckons you to a sublime love filled with the utmost compassion,
like that of the Virgin Mary.
Of all the songs I’ve written so far,
I think that in this one I was able to express a purer,
stronger, and larger love than ever before,
which was one of my dearest ambitions.
The quietly progressing strings, the harp that resembles the sound of falling water,
and the tubular bells that seem to give off a holy light are truly beautiful.
The Kyoshiro motif appears again in the bridge of the song,
yet here it is overflowing with love and kindness that goes beyond loneliness and sorrow.
To Kyoshiro, this motif is one of ultimate sadness.
To Mihoyo, it is one of ultimate kindness.
Being able to express this miraculous synchronicity via music
was the most enjoyable part of this project for me.
Synchronicity always exists in music;
it all depends on whether you can take notice of and comprehend it.
If the channels are always open, miracles will come through.
無想剣曲 (Musou Kenkyoku)
Of all the fantastic musicians I met while working on this project,
one of the most amazing was Hiroshi Motofuji,
who gave a rousing performance on the taiko drums for this song.
His large scale wadaiko drum ensemble consists of a number of different types of taiko
(oke-daiko, shime-daiko, and odaiko) arranged like a drum set,
and he also plays instruments like the cymbals and gong as well.
The multitrack recording was entirely completed by Motofuji.
Just like the strings, the wadaiko is a very important element for this album.
In any case, I’m just really happy I got to play with Motofuji!
This song features a raging taiko orchestra woven
with voice performances that resemble Kecak,
a shakuhachi that cuts through everything,
the cries of the Noh flute
(possession of which was limited to the warrior class at the time of the story),
and a SUGIZO-esque screaming guitar and arpeggio.
All of the elements in this song combine in a miraculous way,
and I think it turned out to be a really innovative piece of music.
The working title was “Sword Fight,”
and I feel like I was able to express a type of battle royal
and the sense of emptiness that killing brings.
ぬくもりのなかで (Nukumori no naka de)
The creative director of the play requested that Senjuro Takebe’s theme song
express the idea of “a vast fatherly affection and kindness.”
I wrote a number of songs with that in mind, but when I handed them over I was told,
“they lack a certain intensity.”
I had no idea what to do – no one had said anything about intensity!
After struggling for a while,
I finally hit upon using a shakuhachi in the middle part
and a rhythmic approach towards the end.
Thankfully, the creative director ended up liking it (^_^).
I feel like I was able to express beauty, kindness, intensity, and great insight.
迅雷 (Jinrai)
This is the theme song of Jinrai Mikumo, Kyoshiro’s enemy.
It is based on the shakuhachi motif that appears in many of these songs,
and was performed in an improvisational fashion by Kinohachi,
who contributed a great deal to this album.
He’s amazing – he gave his all playing shakuhachi, Noh flute, and bamboo flute,
taking my aggressive requests and somehow giving them form.
Kinohachi is capable of wonderful performances that honor Japan’s ancient instruments,
but he’s also a revolutionary musician who promotes ensemble work with violin and piano.
Being able to meet him was one of the most significant benefits I gained from this project.
On this song he plays a shakuhachi solo, which was completed in just one fantastic take!
I wanted to employ a shakuhachi
because in my mind it was the instrument
that would allow us to best express the atmosphere of the samurai,
and my instincts were correct in this case.
I think this exceedingly simple song expresses Jinrai Mikumo’s severity,
stoic manner, aloofness, and warrior spirit.
爪弾く者たちのブルース (Tsumabiku monotachi no Blues)
The working title for this rather lively song was “Friends.”
It refers to friendship and close comrades,
and somehow bringing in these images gave the song a bluesy feeling.
The central image of the song is one of snapping fingers together with friends.
There’s a bluesy acoustic guitar, a saxophone-like bamboo flute,
and percussion-style Japanese hand drums.
It’s like a jam or a blues song from the old downtown area of the city of Edo,
and I think it turned out pretty well.
At one point the song suddenly changes completely,
gaining a sense of pathos and flying far into the distance.
But before you know it, you return to the world of the friends.
I think that I was able to clearly express this contrast,
and I’m also rather fond of the fresh, clean ending.
美保代version“琴” (Mihoyo Koto no shirabe)
This song is the same as “Mihoyo,” only played on a single koto.
It was composed for a scene where the heroine of the play is giving a performance,
which turned out to be quite a trial.
It’s one thing to arrange the song that was originally written for strings as a koto solo,
but actually playing it solo involves many difficulties such as tuning and number of strings.
This song was played by Atsuko Kida,
one of the top koto musicians in the world and a truly wonderful performer.
But even so, we had a really hard time and all sorts of things went wrong.
We ended up changing the tuning and track for each recording session.
There were really difficult bends, delicate harmonics…In other words,
this song turned into something really complex that would be impossible to perform live. (^_^;)
If Mihoyo were actually playing this song as easily,
she would have to be a superhuman musician – a natural koto prodigy!
I guess that’s not very likely…
宵闇の月 (Yoiyami no Tsuki)
The original motif for this song was created in 2005,
and basically hasn’t been changed since then except for perfecting it as a composition.
The production staff requested that this song be about “doubt and suspicion.”
It shifts from a negative mode of doubt,
anxiety, and distrust to a positive outlook of love, conviction, and comfort.
This expresses the changing feelings of Ayano, the other heroine of the story.
The song gradually opens up its heart, revealing itself,
which I feel is also an important theme of the story.
It has arpeggio of a gut guitar, with modulation, and a complex clean guitar.
It is interwoven with a psychedelic feeling and a cosmic sensation.
In this short piece of music,
I think that I was able to skillfully express the mysteries and colors of a moonlight night.
ぬくもりのさきに (Nukumoro no saki ni)
This is another version of “Nukumori no naka de”,
adapted to hint at the developments in the second half of the story.
We used an entirely different arrangement and different string performances,
and only the shakuhachi solo is the same take as the original song.
I think this creates an interesting contrast.
円月殺法 (Engetsu Sappou)
This song is played at the climax of the play,
making it important both for the story and the music itself.
The prototype for this tune was created in 2005, which has been entirely restructured.
The first portion has an ambient atmosphere that expresses a feeling of splitting tension,
the second part is an arc of trembling cold sounds and throbbing heat,
and the third part features Origa’s voice like a spirit floating in the air.
I think that we were able to take the spiritual vibrations from the story
and directly translate them into music.
All of the sounds – the icy clean guitar, the twisted loop of the wadaiko and other instruments,
Jinrai’s theme that cuts into the song, the insane screaming guitar – have a life of their own.
It’s a miracle that we were able to musically express this tension.
NEMURIのテーマ (Nemuri no Theme)
This song resembles the vast ocean.
It’s the most important song on the soundtrack
and contains all of the musical motifs and consciousness of the album.
At the same time, it also holds all of my musical experience up until now.
The song has been arranged so that it teems with all of my musical elements and memories,
focused on orchestration and Japanese instruments.
As a result, it became a rather epic piece that stretches into ten minutes
– a musical suite made up of three independent parts.
The first part refers to Edo, the magnificent and thriving old capital,
and the towering, impressive Edo Castle.
This motif was created by transferring the image of the Great Pyramid of Giza onto Edo.
There’s the symbolic echoes of an odaiko, a lively bamboo flute,
and a piccolo that seems to dance through the sky.
All of these things create an imposing and majestic image, which is also tinged by grief.
The second part is sorrowful,
expressing the sense of dashing forward while bearing a variety of wounds.
In both the first and second part, the violin twines together like a duet.
The wadaiko ensemble rages, controlling the direction of everything.
And the shakuhachi naturally creates a Japanese atmosphere.
The climax at the end of this section seems like it might lead you to the heavens,
and I really like all the different elements.
The third part once again needed to include the refrain of Kyoshiro’s theme.
This is the conclusion of everything, and also a beginning.
The various parts of the story are focused here, and a chemical reaction is taking place.
The strongly rising climax ends, like melting into space,
as if quietly taking a breath in the wilderness without anyone noticing,
all alone…the only thing left is sadness.
I am so very grateful to Ikuro Fujiwara,
the fantastic person who supervised and led this orchestration.
This soundtrack was brought to life by the wonderful creative power
and skill of the people who fully expressed the potential and dynamism of this song.
This can be said about any of these songs, but this song especially.
This tune breaks through the limits of “SUGIZO Music,” pressing forward to the next step.
I think it’s an especially important part of my musical history.
I’m heading towards a new beginning.
That’s it – thank you for reading this far!
My music obsession shows absolutely no signs of fading,
so I hope that you all keep an eye on what I’ll do next.
SGZ
creds:
taken from SUGIZO's blog. purely for my own reference.
p.s: i've got a new-found respect for SUGIZO now.
suddenly, his rank just shot up sky-high in my list =)
“Nemuri Kyoshiro Burai-hikae” original soundtrack album.
I warn you, it’s long! (^_^;)
Please give it a read through when you have the time and inclination!
眠狂四郎 (Nemuri Kyoshiro)
This melody symbolizes and provides direction for the soundtrack as a whole.
The very first part of this motif, which is the start of everything,
was inspired by GACKT’s dignified performance as Kyoshiro.
Kyoshiro is a man who is burdened with solitude, sorrow,
and resentment – a samurai of mixed parentage who is standing in the wilderness.
This melody employs a number of different sounds
including shakuhachi (Japanese flute), piano, harpsichord, and strings,
and is centered on piano sounds that create an extremely lonely atmosphere.
This song also features looping shakuhachi, Noh flute,
and drum loops that evoke the abstract music of the 1990’s.
I think that this blend of a Bristol-style British beat and a Japanese feeling turned out
to be both beautiful and sublime.
This song portrays Kyoshiro’s nightmare of suddenly opening a door
and finding a solemn Mass in progress.
With that image in mind, the pipe organ section cuts in and out unexpectedly.
The solo portion resembles the music that the British band Japan
was making in their final years around 1981-1982,
with a blend of analog synthesizer and a flute that cuts in suddenly.
I’m particularly fond of the counter-melody created by the interplay
between the violin and the viola.
悪徳謀議 (Akutoku Bougi)
The original draft of this song was born about seven years ago
(perhaps my most dedicated fans will recognize it).
The most important element of this song,
which is focused on the irregular arpeggio of the baritone guitar,
is the beautiful sho (Japanese flute) played by my dear friend Naoyuki Manabe.
The song starts out resembling gagaku (traditional court music) and ancient Japanese music.
But as the song progresses, everything falls apart and the sho takes on a flavor of insanity.
No matter how hard you might look,
there aren’t many musicians anywhere in the world
who can play the sho in such a violent way!
Manabe’s wonderful performance alternately calls up vivid images of ancient Japan,
bamboo organs, and melancholy, futuristic tones.
The end of the song features chaotic wadaiko (Japanese drums).
This 180 BPM ensemble of raging wadaiko is like crazy drum'n'Bass played on
traditional Japanese instruments, and I think that it is quite innovative.
ヲモイなぞる (Omoi Nazoru)
The most important and central role on this soundtrack
is played by the approach to orchestration.
The key to this song can be found in those themes and melodies,
which gave birth to the ensemble, the minimum line of the introduction,
and the image of a solemn Mass.
I feel that this song serves as one of the models for the SUGIZO-style orchestration
that I was pursuing so diligently for this project.
All of the song’s elements connect harmoniously and coexist perfectly,
from the harp that resembles drops of falling water, the Middle Eastern-style female voice,
and Origa’s splendid singing in the style of a Russian Orthodox choir
(although from the background of the story, it really should be Portuguese style…)
I find this song both beautiful and sorrowful,
and bet that you can’t listen to it without shivering.
黒十字～UNDER;CORE (Kurojyuji~Under;core)
My main goal for this song was to bring out a sensation of dread and fear.
Actually, this song was brought to life when I remixed and further developed
a song from my H.ART CHAOS album of nine years ago.
The temporary title was “Black Mass,”
and it grew from images of bizarre ceremonies, sacrifices, and death throes.
This song also shows Origa’s choral singing to superb effect.
Listening to this song, you might feel salvation, coldness, or perhaps terror.
美保代 (Mihoyo)
This song is based on the heroine of the story,
and is probably my favorite of these orchestral pieces.
It refers to sadness and pain that has been borne for many long years,
and a love that goes beyond that and enfolds everything in its embrace.
And at the end it beckons you to a sublime love filled with the utmost compassion,
like that of the Virgin Mary.
Of all the songs I’ve written so far,
I think that in this one I was able to express a purer,
stronger, and larger love than ever before,
which was one of my dearest ambitions.
The quietly progressing strings, the harp that resembles the sound of falling water,
and the tubular bells that seem to give off a holy light are truly beautiful.
The Kyoshiro motif appears again in the bridge of the song,
yet here it is overflowing with love and kindness that goes beyond loneliness and sorrow.
To Kyoshiro, this motif is one of ultimate sadness.
To Mihoyo, it is one of ultimate kindness.
Being able to express this miraculous synchronicity via music
was the most enjoyable part of this project for me.
Synchronicity always exists in music;
it all depends on whether you can take notice of and comprehend it.
If the channels are always open, miracles will come through.
無想剣曲 (Musou Kenkyoku)
Of all the fantastic musicians I met while working on this project,
one of the most amazing was Hiroshi Motofuji,
who gave a rousing performance on the taiko drums for this song.
His large scale wadaiko drum ensemble consists of a number of different types of taiko
(oke-daiko, shime-daiko, and odaiko) arranged like a drum set,
and he also plays instruments like the cymbals and gong as well.
The multitrack recording was entirely completed by Motofuji.
Just like the strings, the wadaiko is a very important element for this album.
In any case, I’m just really happy I got to play with Motofuji!
This song features a raging taiko orchestra woven
with voice performances that resemble Kecak,
a shakuhachi that cuts through everything,
the cries of the Noh flute
(possession of which was limited to the warrior class at the time of the story),
and a SUGIZO-esque screaming guitar and arpeggio.
All of the elements in this song combine in a miraculous way,
and I think it turned out to be a really innovative piece of music.
The working title was “Sword Fight,”
and I feel like I was able to express a type of battle royal
and the sense of emptiness that killing brings.
ぬくもりのなかで (Nukumori no naka de)
The creative director of the play requested that Senjuro Takebe’s theme song
express the idea of “a vast fatherly affection and kindness.”
I wrote a number of songs with that in mind, but when I handed them over I was told,
“they lack a certain intensity.”
I had no idea what to do – no one had said anything about intensity!
After struggling for a while,
I finally hit upon using a shakuhachi in the middle part
and a rhythmic approach towards the end.
Thankfully, the creative director ended up liking it (^_^).
I feel like I was able to express beauty, kindness, intensity, and great insight.
迅雷 (Jinrai)
This is the theme song of Jinrai Mikumo, Kyoshiro’s enemy.
It is based on the shakuhachi motif that appears in many of these songs,
and was performed in an improvisational fashion by Kinohachi,
who contributed a great deal to this album.
He’s amazing – he gave his all playing shakuhachi, Noh flute, and bamboo flute,
taking my aggressive requests and somehow giving them form.
Kinohachi is capable of wonderful performances that honor Japan’s ancient instruments,
but he’s also a revolutionary musician who promotes ensemble work with violin and piano.
Being able to meet him was one of the most significant benefits I gained from this project.
On this song he plays a shakuhachi solo, which was completed in just one fantastic take!
I wanted to employ a shakuhachi
because in my mind it was the instrument
that would allow us to best express the atmosphere of the samurai,
and my instincts were correct in this case.
I think this exceedingly simple song expresses Jinrai Mikumo’s severity,
stoic manner, aloofness, and warrior spirit.
爪弾く者たちのブルース (Tsumabiku monotachi no Blues)
The working title for this rather lively song was “Friends.”
It refers to friendship and close comrades,
and somehow bringing in these images gave the song a bluesy feeling.
The central image of the song is one of snapping fingers together with friends.
There’s a bluesy acoustic guitar, a saxophone-like bamboo flute,
and percussion-style Japanese hand drums.
It’s like a jam or a blues song from the old downtown area of the city of Edo,
and I think it turned out pretty well.
At one point the song suddenly changes completely,
gaining a sense of pathos and flying far into the distance.
But before you know it, you return to the world of the friends.
I think that I was able to clearly express this contrast,
and I’m also rather fond of the fresh, clean ending.
美保代version“琴” (Mihoyo Koto no shirabe)
This song is the same as “Mihoyo,” only played on a single koto.
It was composed for a scene where the heroine of the play is giving a performance,
which turned out to be quite a trial.
It’s one thing to arrange the song that was originally written for strings as a koto solo,
but actually playing it solo involves many difficulties such as tuning and number of strings.
This song was played by Atsuko Kida,
one of the top koto musicians in the world and a truly wonderful performer.
But even so, we had a really hard time and all sorts of things went wrong.
We ended up changing the tuning and track for each recording session.
There were really difficult bends, delicate harmonics…In other words,
this song turned into something really complex that would be impossible to perform live. (^_^;)
If Mihoyo were actually playing this song as easily,
she would have to be a superhuman musician – a natural koto prodigy!
I guess that’s not very likely…
宵闇の月 (Yoiyami no Tsuki)
The original motif for this song was created in 2005,
and basically hasn’t been changed since then except for perfecting it as a composition.
The production staff requested that this song be about “doubt and suspicion.”
It shifts from a negative mode of doubt,
anxiety, and distrust to a positive outlook of love, conviction, and comfort.
This expresses the changing feelings of Ayano, the other heroine of the story.
The song gradually opens up its heart, revealing itself,
which I feel is also an important theme of the story.
It has arpeggio of a gut guitar, with modulation, and a complex clean guitar.
It is interwoven with a psychedelic feeling and a cosmic sensation.
In this short piece of music,
I think that I was able to skillfully express the mysteries and colors of a moonlight night.
ぬくもりのさきに (Nukumoro no saki ni)
This is another version of “Nukumori no naka de”,
adapted to hint at the developments in the second half of the story.
We used an entirely different arrangement and different string performances,
and only the shakuhachi solo is the same take as the original song.
I think this creates an interesting contrast.
円月殺法 (Engetsu Sappou)
This song is played at the climax of the play,
making it important both for the story and the music itself.
The prototype for this tune was created in 2005, which has been entirely restructured.
The first portion has an ambient atmosphere that expresses a feeling of splitting tension,
the second part is an arc of trembling cold sounds and throbbing heat,
and the third part features Origa’s voice like a spirit floating in the air.
I think that we were able to take the spiritual vibrations from the story
and directly translate them into music.
All of the sounds – the icy clean guitar, the twisted loop of the wadaiko and other instruments,
Jinrai’s theme that cuts into the song, the insane screaming guitar – have a life of their own.
It’s a miracle that we were able to musically express this tension.
NEMURIのテーマ (Nemuri no Theme)
This song resembles the vast ocean.
It’s the most important song on the soundtrack
and contains all of the musical motifs and consciousness of the album.
At the same time, it also holds all of my musical experience up until now.
The song has been arranged so that it teems with all of my musical elements and memories,
focused on orchestration and Japanese instruments.
As a result, it became a rather epic piece that stretches into ten minutes
– a musical suite made up of three independent parts.
The first part refers to Edo, the magnificent and thriving old capital,
and the towering, impressive Edo Castle.
This motif was created by transferring the image of the Great Pyramid of Giza onto Edo.
There’s the symbolic echoes of an odaiko, a lively bamboo flute,
and a piccolo that seems to dance through the sky.
All of these things create an imposing and majestic image, which is also tinged by grief.
The second part is sorrowful,
expressing the sense of dashing forward while bearing a variety of wounds.
In both the first and second part, the violin twines together like a duet.
The wadaiko ensemble rages, controlling the direction of everything.
And the shakuhachi naturally creates a Japanese atmosphere.
The climax at the end of this section seems like it might lead you to the heavens,
and I really like all the different elements.
The third part once again needed to include the refrain of Kyoshiro’s theme.
This is the conclusion of everything, and also a beginning.
The various parts of the story are focused here, and a chemical reaction is taking place.
The strongly rising climax ends, like melting into space,
as if quietly taking a breath in the wilderness without anyone noticing,
all alone…the only thing left is sadness.
I am so very grateful to Ikuro Fujiwara,
the fantastic person who supervised and led this orchestration.
This soundtrack was brought to life by the wonderful creative power
and skill of the people who fully expressed the potential and dynamism of this song.
This can be said about any of these songs, but this song especially.
This tune breaks through the limits of “SUGIZO Music,” pressing forward to the next step.
I think it’s an especially important part of my musical history.
I’m heading towards a new beginning.
That’s it – thank you for reading this far!
My music obsession shows absolutely no signs of fading,
so I hope that you all keep an eye on what I’ll do next.
SGZ
creds:
taken from SUGIZO's blog. purely for my own reference.
p.s: i've got a new-found respect for SUGIZO now.
suddenly, his rank just shot up sky-high in my list =)
2010-06-15
World Cup
みんなはサッカー見たか！！
Nao氏は見れなかったけど、日本は勝ったんですね☆
(´┏＿┓｀)
しかし昔の話だけど、こう見えてNao氏はサッカーとても上手かったんですよ！
ペナルティーエリア内でボールをもったら、１００パーセントの確率でゴールネットを揺らす！！
v(｀┏┓´)v
学生のころは恐れられていましたな！
まあ家庭用サッカーゲームの話なんですが…(笑)
(´┏＿┓｀)
Ha ha, Nao's so cute.
Riding on the World Cup fever,
He's talking about how he USED TO BE good at soccer, lol.
Penalty shots are a 100% score for him,
and how he was feared for his skills during his school days.
And then he went on to admit....
it's only in virtual soccer matches!!
(faints)
HA HA HA!!!
Such a cute boy, ha ha.
You wouldn't believe he's 30 this year.
I nearly ROFL-ed reading his blog entry.
Ahh, I miss him so much.
Nao氏は見れなかったけど、日本は勝ったんですね☆
(´┏＿┓｀)
しかし昔の話だけど、こう見えてNao氏はサッカーとても上手かったんですよ！
ペナルティーエリア内でボールをもったら、１００パーセントの確率でゴールネットを揺らす！！
v(｀┏┓´)v
学生のころは恐れられていましたな！
まあ家庭用サッカーゲームの話なんですが…(笑)
(´┏＿┓｀)
Ha ha, Nao's so cute.
Riding on the World Cup fever,
He's talking about how he USED TO BE good at soccer, lol.
Penalty shots are a 100% score for him,
and how he was feared for his skills during his school days.
And then he went on to admit....
it's only in virtual soccer matches!!
(faints)
HA HA HA!!!
Such a cute boy, ha ha.
You wouldn't believe he's 30 this year.
I nearly ROFL-ed reading his blog entry.
Ahh, I miss him so much.
2010-05-21
New song uploaded!!
If anyone ever bothers to notice the tiny "NEWS" column at the top of the navigation column beside my blog post column,
you'd notice the title of the song has changed.
Which means.........
YES!!
A new song uploaded!!
It's an instrumental track.
I love recording instrumental tracks when I'm recording at home.
Because it doesn't have any of my terrible voice,
or terrible pitching (-.-)
And also, I'm down with loss of voice and flu,
so yeah, no vocals is WONDERFUL.
It's called "Memories" (as you've probably noticed by now)
I originally wanted lyrics,
but I couldn't figure out what to write, lol.
After all, it's another one of my songs that's dedicated to somebody.
You can read my blog entry here
I thought that perhaps it'll be good to write something without words.
Just like how they say a picture paints a thousand words,
a song without words will stir up different feelings, different emotions, different memories from each individual.
I thought maybe it'd be good if people will remember him in their own ways, instead of dictating with words their memories of him.
Of course, doing an instrumental track gave me an opportunity to try out new stuff.
Like the arrangements of the tracks, the layering of it,
it forced me to hear the melodies in my head when my hands couldn't play the 2 melodies at the same time, and I had to make sure to decipher in my head if the melodies would clash if they came together.
Recently (ok, so not so recently) I have been caught up with arrangements, like how different parts play different things and how well they blend in an orchestra. The first violin, and how the second violin backs it up, how the cellos back them up so on and so forth.
And so, I wanted to learn, play around.
And this instrumental track gave me quite a bit of opportunities to do so.
Even though it's not at the orchestra standard,
I really like playing with 2 melodies playing at the same time.
And my decision for doing as a piano solo track was inspired from PEOPLE ERROR.
Ok, so it had drums in the background, but the drums are very soft.
PEOPLE ERROR felt like it was a piano duet, even though it's not.
And I was thinking maybe it would be fun to recreate that.
Not as 2 people playing 1 piano,
but 2 people playing 2 pianos.
A very simple start.
It's just 3 different parts.
Perhaps not even good enough for a two-piano duet,
but I hope you guys will enjoy it.
you'd notice the title of the song has changed.
Which means.........
YES!!
A new song uploaded!!
It's an instrumental track.
I love recording instrumental tracks when I'm recording at home.
Because it doesn't have any of my terrible voice,
or terrible pitching (-.-)
And also, I'm down with loss of voice and flu,
so yeah, no vocals is WONDERFUL.
It's called "Memories" (as you've probably noticed by now)
I originally wanted lyrics,
but I couldn't figure out what to write, lol.
After all, it's another one of my songs that's dedicated to somebody.
You can read my blog entry here
I thought that perhaps it'll be good to write something without words.
Just like how they say a picture paints a thousand words,
a song without words will stir up different feelings, different emotions, different memories from each individual.
I thought maybe it'd be good if people will remember him in their own ways, instead of dictating with words their memories of him.
Of course, doing an instrumental track gave me an opportunity to try out new stuff.
Like the arrangements of the tracks, the layering of it,
it forced me to hear the melodies in my head when my hands couldn't play the 2 melodies at the same time, and I had to make sure to decipher in my head if the melodies would clash if they came together.
Recently (ok, so not so recently) I have been caught up with arrangements, like how different parts play different things and how well they blend in an orchestra. The first violin, and how the second violin backs it up, how the cellos back them up so on and so forth.
And so, I wanted to learn, play around.
And this instrumental track gave me quite a bit of opportunities to do so.
Even though it's not at the orchestra standard,
I really like playing with 2 melodies playing at the same time.
And my decision for doing as a piano solo track was inspired from PEOPLE ERROR.
Ok, so it had drums in the background, but the drums are very soft.
PEOPLE ERROR felt like it was a piano duet, even though it's not.
And I was thinking maybe it would be fun to recreate that.
Not as 2 people playing 1 piano,
but 2 people playing 2 pianos.
A very simple start.
It's just 3 different parts.
Perhaps not even good enough for a two-piano duet,
but I hope you guys will enjoy it.
2010-04-27
Same stage
April 16.
That was one of the most memorable times of my life.
Finally performing on a proper stage.
But besides that, the reason why I was so happy was that S and Kaya also had live performances that day.
Finally, I could say "Let's do our best together!!" instead of saying "All the best to you!"
Even though the 3 of us were performing in different countries, in different venues,
I felt like I was finally rising up.
It felt like we would soon be on the same stage.
In fact, it already felt like we were on the same stage.
The same status.
And this Friday,
Again I'll be on stage.
Although it's a closed recital,
it feels good.
Because Kamijo is also having his live performance at JCB Hall.
Even we're separated,
our feelings won't change.
I can finally say "Let's work hard together".
Feelings of well-wishes and a firm belief in each other.
Believing that we will give it our best shot,
Believing that we will shine on stage.
Even though the venue is different,
even though the audience and audience reaction will be different,
I want to, with all my might, send forth all my feelings to those who will be watching the recital, whether live, or via video.
Or even if they don't have the time to watch the video,
I want to transmit the feelings of joy of standing on stage and performing.
I want my feelings to match up to their feelings.
I believe even if we're separated,
my feelings will still reach them.
I pity Jasmine You though, lol.
To zoom from Singapore to Japan within a day.
But I'm sure spirits fly really fast.
Even faster than planes.
It's like teleportation? Lol
Please watch over us on Friday.
And let our feelings of love reach you.
That was one of the most memorable times of my life.
Finally performing on a proper stage.
But besides that, the reason why I was so happy was that S and Kaya also had live performances that day.
Finally, I could say "Let's do our best together!!" instead of saying "All the best to you!"
Even though the 3 of us were performing in different countries, in different venues,
I felt like I was finally rising up.
It felt like we would soon be on the same stage.
In fact, it already felt like we were on the same stage.
The same status.
And this Friday,
Again I'll be on stage.
Although it's a closed recital,
it feels good.
Because Kamijo is also having his live performance at JCB Hall.
Even we're separated,
our feelings won't change.
I can finally say "Let's work hard together".
Feelings of well-wishes and a firm belief in each other.
Believing that we will give it our best shot,
Believing that we will shine on stage.
Even though the venue is different,
even though the audience and audience reaction will be different,
I want to, with all my might, send forth all my feelings to those who will be watching the recital, whether live, or via video.
Or even if they don't have the time to watch the video,
I want to transmit the feelings of joy of standing on stage and performing.
I want my feelings to match up to their feelings.
I believe even if we're separated,
my feelings will still reach them.
I pity Jasmine You though, lol.
To zoom from Singapore to Japan within a day.
But I'm sure spirits fly really fast.
Even faster than planes.
It's like teleportation? Lol
Please watch over us on Friday.
And let our feelings of love reach you.
2010-04-01
Happy April's Fool
瞬介は、3月28日亡くなりました。
生前、お世話になりましたファンの皆様や関係者の皆様に謹んでご報告いたします。
葬儀は、遺族の意向により家族と近親者のみによる家族葬といたしました。
そのため、だれにもお知らせしないまま葬儀を終えたことをお詫びいたします。
ファンの皆様や音楽関係の皆様のための「お別れ会」を、別途、5月3日（月）東京で執り行う予定です。（会場については後日、こちらでご報告させていただ きます。）
お時間の許す方は、ぜひ、お越しください。（平服で結構です）
何分急なことで、お知らせが大変遅くなったことを心からお詫び申し上げます。
なお、瞬介が残した皆様へのメッセージがありましたので、ご紹介いたします。
傷つけてきた人たちへ
みんな。いろいろありがとう。ありがとう。心配かけてもいつも心配しなおしてくれてありがとう。
生きる強さのないオレには、みんなへの感謝の気持ちを伝えるのが精いっぱいです。とにかくありがとう。そしてごめんね。傷つけて。また会おう。
ＥｌｌＤｏｒａｄｏ
ｂｉｓ
瞬介の遺族一同
To all those who I have hurt,
Everyone, thank you for everything. Thank you. For being concerned about me, and for always worrying about me, thank you.
I, who don’t have the strength to live, with all my might want to convey to you my feelings of gratitude. In any case, thank you. And, I’m sorry. For hurting you. We’ll meet again.
Unfortunately, today wasn't much of an April's fool for me.
Cos the news I received today,,
Read it from S' blog,,
And then was confirmed by others,,
Too shocking to be true.
I wished that was nothing but a joke.
But unfortunately, no.
I feel sad.
Not for me,
but for others.
People like S, like Shou (and probably Nao as well),
so many people...
Especially Seika...
(First Yuuichi, and now Shunsuke... it's not funny to have 2 friends die within a span of a mere 6 months)
Rest in peace, Shunsuke-san...
御冥福を祈り致します
生前、お世話になりましたファンの皆様や関係者の皆様に謹んでご報告いたします。
葬儀は、遺族の意向により家族と近親者のみによる家族葬といたしました。
そのため、だれにもお知らせしないまま葬儀を終えたことをお詫びいたします。
ファンの皆様や音楽関係の皆様のための「お別れ会」を、別途、5月3日（月）東京で執り行う予定です。（会場については後日、こちらでご報告させていただ きます。）
お時間の許す方は、ぜひ、お越しください。（平服で結構です）
何分急なことで、お知らせが大変遅くなったことを心からお詫び申し上げます。
なお、瞬介が残した皆様へのメッセージがありましたので、ご紹介いたします。
傷つけてきた人たちへ
みんな。いろいろありがとう。ありがとう。心配かけてもいつも心配しなおしてくれてありがとう。
生きる強さのないオレには、みんなへの感謝の気持ちを伝えるのが精いっぱいです。とにかくありがとう。そしてごめんね。傷つけて。また会おう。
ＥｌｌＤｏｒａｄｏ
ｂｉｓ
瞬介の遺族一同
To all those who I have hurt,
Everyone, thank you for everything. Thank you. For being concerned about me, and for always worrying about me, thank you.
I, who don’t have the strength to live, with all my might want to convey to you my feelings of gratitude. In any case, thank you. And, I’m sorry. For hurting you. We’ll meet again.
Unfortunately, today wasn't much of an April's fool for me.
Cos the news I received today,,
Read it from S' blog,,
And then was confirmed by others,,
Too shocking to be true.
I wished that was nothing but a joke.
But unfortunately, no.
I feel sad.
Not for me,
but for others.
People like S, like Shou (and probably Nao as well),
so many people...
Especially Seika...
(First Yuuichi, and now Shunsuke... it's not funny to have 2 friends die within a span of a mere 6 months)
Rest in peace, Shunsuke-san...
御冥福を祈り致します
Random shout-out
お兄さま、貴方と会いたいわぁぁぁ！！
Watched Mr Brain 2 nights ago online,
and got really disturbed by god-bro's acting.
Even though it was a fleeting role as a guest actor,
even though it was a role as a baddie,
he still did it to his best.
Not to mention he was a really handsome, very charismatic psychopathic cannibal.
Now my mind is still filled with images of his acting,
even though he barely appeared in the episode.
I feel so challenged...
I need to have the same attitude to everything I do.
I wanna be as good as him,
worthy to be his god-sis.
I need to be as good as he is,
if not I will feel this ever-widening gap between us.
Oh gosh, I miss him so much...
I've never missed him so much before.
But he's not Nao.
He can't (and even if he can, he won't) come back cos of his ever-busy schedule.
So I can only do the stalker fan-girl style.
Use his photo as wallpaper.
At least until I get over missing him.
Why??
Why so far away?? =(
Watched Mr Brain 2 nights ago online,
and got really disturbed by god-bro's acting.
Even though it was a fleeting role as a guest actor,
even though it was a role as a baddie,
he still did it to his best.
Not to mention he was a really handsome, very charismatic psychopathic cannibal.
Now my mind is still filled with images of his acting,
even though he barely appeared in the episode.
I feel so challenged...
I need to have the same attitude to everything I do.
I wanna be as good as him,
worthy to be his god-sis.
I need to be as good as he is,
if not I will feel this ever-widening gap between us.
Oh gosh, I miss him so much...
I've never missed him so much before.
But he's not Nao.
He can't (and even if he can, he won't) come back cos of his ever-busy schedule.
So I can only do the stalker fan-girl style.
Use his photo as wallpaper.
At least until I get over missing him.
Why??
Why so far away?? =(
2010-03-19
Father of church music - Bach
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b_zVD98_5U
Little Fugue in G minor, to be played by church organ.
Awesome composition by Bach.
I consider him to be the father of church music.
Even though I hate him cos I'm never able to sightread and play his pieces well,
he sure is a great composer even in this age.
He has greatly influenced many composers after him,
and even now, he's still an influence to many classical musicians and even rock/metal musicians.
During the Baroque period,
they wrote new church songs every week, and everyone sang to the music.
In fact I half-wish I can go back to the past and see how church service was like then.
Nowadays, even if we have the time, we wouldn't be able to write such beautiful compositions in such short time.
Now, I just need to learn to play the organ.
It's time to work the feet.
But as Belinda said, where can you find an organ these days!?
p.s: by the way, the organist in the video played it at a faster tempo than YOSHIKI's recording of this piece of music.
Little Fugue in G minor, to be played by church organ.
Awesome composition by Bach.
I consider him to be the father of church music.
Even though I hate him cos I'm never able to sightread and play his pieces well,
he sure is a great composer even in this age.
He has greatly influenced many composers after him,
and even now, he's still an influence to many classical musicians and even rock/metal musicians.
During the Baroque period,
they wrote new church songs every week, and everyone sang to the music.
In fact I half-wish I can go back to the past and see how church service was like then.
Nowadays, even if we have the time, we wouldn't be able to write such beautiful compositions in such short time.
Now, I just need to learn to play the organ.
It's time to work the feet.
But as Belinda said, where can you find an organ these days!?
p.s: by the way, the organist in the video played it at a faster tempo than YOSHIKI's recording of this piece of music.
2010-03-08
Happy Birthday
It's a month packed full of birthdays.
At least the first few days of it, lol.
2 March, 6 March, and 8 March.
Of course, I'll still celebrate your birthday.
Even though you're no longer around.
I've lost track of time,
I am unable to count the number of days since you left.
It's been some time since you left,
but somehow it still feels like yesterday when you left us suddenly.
Even now I want to cry, but I keep telling myself not to cry.
That's why now I'm worried I can't cry on the day of my recital while singing the song I wrote for you (lol).
Ever since you left, I've developed amnesia.
Lost a certain part of my memory, and maybe now slowly gaining it back.
I'm afraid,
Afraid of losing the memories we shared.
Yet, deeply ingrained in my mind is the attitude you had towards life.
Always being so positive.
All I have left of you now are those words you always said to me.
Words I always brushed aside, yet you repeated yourself countless times for my sake.
I'm sad to say it's only after you left that I started taking your words to heart.
But these words, I'll never hear your voice say them to me again.
"It's alright. Be confident!!"
Because of you, I grew so much.
Certainly when now DI is facing a crisis,
I can be positive.
I can stand strong and look towards a better future.
Most of the credit goes to you.
Certainly, God brought me through 2008 and 2009.
But it was that one incident last year that molded me.
Sure, I'm thankful for the molding.
But still, even now, if I had the choice, I'd rather not go through what I did last year.
Knowing you,
Losing you.
Even if it means I wouldn't be the person I am now.
I'd rather forgo this growth and have you back.
Am I childish to want you back?
All those things I said last year,
even now I don't regret them.
I definitely would have done anything to keep you alive,
even if it means I fade away.
無理だよね,,,
So please let me continue to hold you in my heart,
to remember you always.
Let my memories of you never fade away.
I'll continue to count your age (lol),
like when you were still around.
You're 31 this year aren't you?
Happy 31st Birthday, my dear friend.
May you bloom like beautiful roses in heaven.
Thank you for spending your birthday with me.
Really felt like you were beside me,
holding my hand.
Now I understand when YOSHIKI and SUGIZO said they could feel HIDE's presence during the memorial festival.
I'm still so childish,
wanting to cling onto you.
So afraid of the day coming to an end,
Cos I was afraid you'd leave,
you'd let go of my hand.
Even though we both know you still live on in my heart.
All that you said yesterday, I won't forget.
Even the jokes.
It shall remain a joke between the 2 of us, alright? =)
Oh yes.
Thank you for playing the bass for the recording of my favorite song in your band's latest album.
Despite your failing health then,
the bass part still sounded brilliant.
As expected of you =)
At least the first few days of it, lol.
2 March, 6 March, and 8 March.
Of course, I'll still celebrate your birthday.
Even though you're no longer around.
I've lost track of time,
I am unable to count the number of days since you left.
It's been some time since you left,
but somehow it still feels like yesterday when you left us suddenly.
Even now I want to cry, but I keep telling myself not to cry.
That's why now I'm worried I can't cry on the day of my recital while singing the song I wrote for you (lol).
Ever since you left, I've developed amnesia.
Lost a certain part of my memory, and maybe now slowly gaining it back.
I'm afraid,
Afraid of losing the memories we shared.
Yet, deeply ingrained in my mind is the attitude you had towards life.
Always being so positive.
All I have left of you now are those words you always said to me.
Words I always brushed aside, yet you repeated yourself countless times for my sake.
I'm sad to say it's only after you left that I started taking your words to heart.
But these words, I'll never hear your voice say them to me again.
"It's alright. Be confident!!"
Because of you, I grew so much.
Certainly when now DI is facing a crisis,
I can be positive.
I can stand strong and look towards a better future.
Most of the credit goes to you.
Certainly, God brought me through 2008 and 2009.
But it was that one incident last year that molded me.
Sure, I'm thankful for the molding.
But still, even now, if I had the choice, I'd rather not go through what I did last year.
Knowing you,
Losing you.
Even if it means I wouldn't be the person I am now.
I'd rather forgo this growth and have you back.
Am I childish to want you back?
All those things I said last year,
even now I don't regret them.
I definitely would have done anything to keep you alive,
even if it means I fade away.
無理だよね,,,
So please let me continue to hold you in my heart,
to remember you always.
Let my memories of you never fade away.
I'll continue to count your age (lol),
like when you were still around.
You're 31 this year aren't you?
Happy 31st Birthday, my dear friend.
May you bloom like beautiful roses in heaven.
~~~~~~~
Thank you for spending your birthday with me.
Really felt like you were beside me,
holding my hand.
Now I understand when YOSHIKI and SUGIZO said they could feel HIDE's presence during the memorial festival.
I'm still so childish,
wanting to cling onto you.
So afraid of the day coming to an end,
Cos I was afraid you'd leave,
you'd let go of my hand.
Even though we both know you still live on in my heart.
All that you said yesterday, I won't forget.
Even the jokes.
It shall remain a joke between the 2 of us, alright? =)
Oh yes.
Thank you for playing the bass for the recording of my favorite song in your band's latest album.
Despite your failing health then,
the bass part still sounded brilliant.
As expected of you =)
2010-03-04
I love these 2 people,,
In Kamakura now.
I came down to Kamakura to have a lunch for a refreshing change, while writing songs.
Yeah, I really love this town☆
My favorite Soba noodle restaurant there was mui delicioso.
Let's go home after walking around here for a bit.
-Aiji
Which was later on followed by another blog entry from his fellow bandmate.
Home now
Why you dont take me there with you@
Why you dont take me there with you@
Why you dont take me there with you@
ma.
Which was followed by a
"ANMITSU" with Japanese green tea, mochi, and ice Cream NOW.
SO GOOD!!!
Hey maya, don't worry! I visited to Tsuruoka Hachiman-gu (shrine) and prayed for you, too.
-Aiji.
LOL, they spam their official blog with such blog entries?
Ha ha, surely they can just send each other SMSes or mails right?
Not the first time they did such stuff,
but it certainly cracks me up every time they do this kind of thing
I came down to Kamakura to have a lunch for a refreshing change, while writing songs.
Yeah, I really love this town☆
My favorite Soba noodle restaurant there was mui delicioso.
Let's go home after walking around here for a bit.
-Aiji
Which was later on followed by another blog entry from his fellow bandmate.
Home now
Why you dont take me there with you@
Why you dont take me there with you@
Why you dont take me there with you@
ma.
Which was followed by a
"ANMITSU" with Japanese green tea, mochi, and ice Cream NOW.
SO GOOD!!!
Hey maya, don't worry! I visited to Tsuruoka Hachiman-gu (shrine) and prayed for you, too.
-Aiji.
LOL, they spam their official blog with such blog entries?
Ha ha, surely they can just send each other SMSes or mails right?
Not the first time they did such stuff,
but it certainly cracks me up every time they do this kind of thing
2010-02-23
SCORE!!
2010/01/27 11:27
出す出す詐欺って･･･、何それ？？
FORDEAR
ハイハイ、本当に世の中、暇なんだね。
下らない三流メディアがまた訳の分かんないことを載せてるけど。
「出す出す詐欺？？？」そんな詐欺があったんだ？
聞いたこともないっつーか･･･、ホント勘弁してくれよ。
確かにさ、DVDの発売日が延びたのは事実。
それに対しては待ってくれてるファンのみんなには本当に申し訳ないと思ってる。
みんなには作品を作るのに妥協したくないって想いは伝えたし、
撮影したものを軽く編集して、
「はい出します」みたいな商業ベースなものを作って売る気もない。
その理由は述べたのにも関わらず、
結局、三流メディアに書かれてあるのは
違う内容。
しかも、特典映像で遅れているとか、どーとか。
そんなこと、誰も言ってないっつーの。
「関係者の言葉」って誰だよ？
勝手に金欠とかの話になってるし。
誰が金欠なんだよ？？
ふざけんな。
ホント勘弁してくれよ、アホらしい。
何でもかんでも書けば売れると思って、むちゃくちゃなこと書いて。
ホント、メディアが氾濫する世の中になってしまって、
残念でならない。
自分のことしか考えてない大人がメディアを使ってクソの情報流す。
僕を馬鹿にするだけなら、まだ我慢できる。
ウチのファンをだしにして巻き込むのは許さないぞ。
ケンカ売ってんなら、いくらでも買ってやる。
馬鹿メディアども。
GACKT
2010/01/27 11:27
I'm swindling people, they say..., what??
FORDEAR
Yep yep, there's a lot of people with free time in this world.
Once again, good-for-nothing third-rate media outlets are reporting on things they have no proof of.
"An emerging fraud???" Wait, someone's committing a fraud, you say?
Oh shit, I didnt hear about it..., please forgive me.
Of course, it's a fact that the DVD's release date keeps getting pushed back.
I'm really sorry about it and I think Ive [conveyed that to] the fans who've been waiting patiently for me.
I let everyone know that I feel there's no compromising in my work,
and I dont want people to feel like we just threw this thing at them with light editing
like "Okay, here you go!"
In spite of how clear I thought I made myself on this,
eventually third-rate media outlets are writing things
to the contrary.
Not to mention the bonus footage is behind schedule, among other things.
I thought I made that absolutely freakin clear.
Just who are they talking about when they say "[We got the inside] story from authorized people" ?
They said "running out of money".
Who's running out of money?!?
You gotta be kiddin me.
Gimme a break, you dumbasses.
If they think it'll sell, they'll write anything.
Really, the media is just saturating this world,
of course it's going to be bad.
This shit flows through the media from adults who cant think of anything other than themselves.
If you're going to just make light of me, I can ignore it.
But I will NOT excuse you getting my fans wrapped up in this as a pretext.
If you're selling a fight, no matter how much it may cost, I'll buy it.
Stupid media.
GACKT
~~~~~
Note on the last part, he literally says "Idiot media-domo", where 'domo' is a plural marker implying a low status.
GACKT 1 - Media 0
HA HA HA!!
By the way, during lunchtime concert in school today, my heart nearly stopped beating.
Why?
Tim said, "and we have a very special guest from Japan - Yoshi..."
My heart skipped a beat.
"...ko"
My heart sank.
He most probably will never appear in school.
What am I hoping for?
To see my dream come true?
Maybe a part of me really hopes what I dreamt last year will come true.
But maybe it's a good thing it wasn't him.
I would have died on the spot,
or at the very least dig a hole and hide myself.
Cos I didn't dress up.
Seriously, this is not good for my heart.
出す出す詐欺って･･･、何それ？？
FORDEAR
ハイハイ、本当に世の中、暇なんだね。
下らない三流メディアがまた訳の分かんないことを載せてるけど。
「出す出す詐欺？？？」そんな詐欺があったんだ？
聞いたこともないっつーか･･･、ホント勘弁してくれよ。
確かにさ、DVDの発売日が延びたのは事実。
それに対しては待ってくれてるファンのみんなには本当に申し訳ないと思ってる。
みんなには作品を作るのに妥協したくないって想いは伝えたし、
撮影したものを軽く編集して、
「はい出します」みたいな商業ベースなものを作って売る気もない。
その理由は述べたのにも関わらず、
結局、三流メディアに書かれてあるのは
違う内容。
しかも、特典映像で遅れているとか、どーとか。
そんなこと、誰も言ってないっつーの。
「関係者の言葉」って誰だよ？
勝手に金欠とかの話になってるし。
誰が金欠なんだよ？？
ふざけんな。
ホント勘弁してくれよ、アホらしい。
何でもかんでも書けば売れると思って、むちゃくちゃなこと書いて。
ホント、メディアが氾濫する世の中になってしまって、
残念でならない。
自分のことしか考えてない大人がメディアを使ってクソの情報流す。
僕を馬鹿にするだけなら、まだ我慢できる。
ウチのファンをだしにして巻き込むのは許さないぞ。
ケンカ売ってんなら、いくらでも買ってやる。
馬鹿メディアども。
GACKT
2010/01/27 11:27
I'm swindling people, they say..., what??
FORDEAR
Yep yep, there's a lot of people with free time in this world.
Once again, good-for-nothing third-rate media outlets are reporting on things they have no proof of.
"An emerging fraud???" Wait, someone's committing a fraud, you say?
Oh shit, I didnt hear about it..., please forgive me.
Of course, it's a fact that the DVD's release date keeps getting pushed back.
I'm really sorry about it and I think Ive [conveyed that to] the fans who've been waiting patiently for me.
I let everyone know that I feel there's no compromising in my work,
and I dont want people to feel like we just threw this thing at them with light editing
like "Okay, here you go!"
In spite of how clear I thought I made myself on this,
eventually third-rate media outlets are writing things
to the contrary.
Not to mention the bonus footage is behind schedule, among other things.
I thought I made that absolutely freakin clear.
Just who are they talking about when they say "[We got the inside] story from authorized people" ?
They said "running out of money".
Who's running out of money?!?
You gotta be kiddin me.
Gimme a break, you dumbasses.
If they think it'll sell, they'll write anything.
Really, the media is just saturating this world,
of course it's going to be bad.
This shit flows through the media from adults who cant think of anything other than themselves.
If you're going to just make light of me, I can ignore it.
But I will NOT excuse you getting my fans wrapped up in this as a pretext.
If you're selling a fight, no matter how much it may cost, I'll buy it.
Stupid media.
GACKT
~~~~~
Note on the last part, he literally says "Idiot media-domo", where 'domo' is a plural marker implying a low status.
GACKT 1 - Media 0
HA HA HA!!
By the way, during lunchtime concert in school today, my heart nearly stopped beating.
Why?
Tim said, "and we have a very special guest from Japan - Yoshi..."
My heart skipped a beat.
"...ko"
My heart sank.
He most probably will never appear in school.
What am I hoping for?
To see my dream come true?
Maybe a part of me really hopes what I dreamt last year will come true.
But maybe it's a good thing it wasn't him.
I would have died on the spot,
or at the very least dig a hole and hide myself.
Cos I didn't dress up.
Seriously, this is not good for my heart.
2010-01-30
お疲れ様でした☆
The performance with Zbigniew Karkovski is over.
It was AWESOME to say the least.
It wouldn't be too much to say that all of us went high during the performance, giving Zbig the sound that he wanted (lol)
Zbigniew is really an amazing guy.
I learned so much from him.
Noise music usually meant electronics (at least to me), yet Zbig showed me during the whole week of rehearsals how acoustic instruments can be used to produce the kind of sound he wanted as well.
It's not only about feedback and softwares.
Of course, for the vocals, pedals and ring modulators etc etc played a big part in giving Zbig the texture of sound he wanted.
And if I'm not wrong, he can already hear the sound of the different instruments and the sounds he wants us to produce from the various instruments.
I mean, on the 2nd day of rehearsal, he could already layer the entry of each instrument, knowing which instrument comes after which.
Amazing, really. It shows how tuned his ears are to the texture of sound.
The performance was really relaxed, and not in the least nerve-wrecking.
Cos Zbig gave us the freedom to do whatever we want,
as long as we gave him the texture of sound he wanted,
and the energy he wanted.
So it was loads of improvisation.
Even if I would never do this kind of music,
it was still an eye-opener for me.
And it was really enjoyable.
I really gave it my all, and nearly died "ah"-ing into the mic.
The performance wasn't even 30min, yet I was already panting at the end of it.
(Oh dear. How am I gonna survive a 2hour gig?)
Many funny highlights (lol)
Especially Alfred, who was playing the gongs, when the ropes securing the bigger gong broke and the gong fell to the floor halfway through performance, lol.
Yet he kept going with the small gong and the hihats with the same amount of energy.
And the part where RX was hitting the hihats so hard, it fell off the stand (lol!)
I think watching Noise music live is better than listening to it,
cos feeding off the energy from the performers really made it enjoyable.
Also, many thanks to my Ultimate Ears IEMs which reduced the volume by half for me.
Everyone in the crowd was going deaf (which I think is the point of it all, lol)
It would be fun to try this again.
I guess, it may come in handy next time.
You never know when =)
It was AWESOME to say the least.
It wouldn't be too much to say that all of us went high during the performance, giving Zbig the sound that he wanted (lol)
Zbigniew is really an amazing guy.
I learned so much from him.
Noise music usually meant electronics (at least to me), yet Zbig showed me during the whole week of rehearsals how acoustic instruments can be used to produce the kind of sound he wanted as well.
It's not only about feedback and softwares.
Of course, for the vocals, pedals and ring modulators etc etc played a big part in giving Zbig the texture of sound he wanted.
And if I'm not wrong, he can already hear the sound of the different instruments and the sounds he wants us to produce from the various instruments.
I mean, on the 2nd day of rehearsal, he could already layer the entry of each instrument, knowing which instrument comes after which.
Amazing, really. It shows how tuned his ears are to the texture of sound.
The performance was really relaxed, and not in the least nerve-wrecking.
Cos Zbig gave us the freedom to do whatever we want,
as long as we gave him the texture of sound he wanted,
and the energy he wanted.
So it was loads of improvisation.
Even if I would never do this kind of music,
it was still an eye-opener for me.
And it was really enjoyable.
I really gave it my all, and nearly died "ah"-ing into the mic.
The performance wasn't even 30min, yet I was already panting at the end of it.
(Oh dear. How am I gonna survive a 2hour gig?)
Many funny highlights (lol)
Especially Alfred, who was playing the gongs, when the ropes securing the bigger gong broke and the gong fell to the floor halfway through performance, lol.
Yet he kept going with the small gong and the hihats with the same amount of energy.
And the part where RX was hitting the hihats so hard, it fell off the stand (lol!)
I think watching Noise music live is better than listening to it,
cos feeding off the energy from the performers really made it enjoyable.
Also, many thanks to my Ultimate Ears IEMs which reduced the volume by half for me.
Everyone in the crowd was going deaf (which I think is the point of it all, lol)
It would be fun to try this again.
I guess, it may come in handy next time.
You never know when =)
2010-01-27
Collaboration with Zbigniew Karkovski
Renown tokyo-based composer and master sound manipulator Zbigniew Karkowski with the LASALLE College of the Arts presents an evening of audacious instrumental collaborations with the students of the School of Contemporary Music. Creating sonic art works utilizing Karkowski's relentless attention to detail, focusing on... the reworking and ordering of a collection of instrumental schards with electronic processing.
Zbigniew Karkowski has studied with composers Iannis Xenakis, Pierre Boulez, Olivier Messiaen, and Georges Aperghis and has produced numerous works in the field of both acoustic and electronic music including chamber works, pieces for large orchestra and opera. He is also the founding member of the electro-acoustic music performance trio Sensorband.
This is the last chance to catch Zbigniew Karkowski in Singapore for a while, the rehearsals with the students this week are sounding amazing! This will be something special.
Date: Friday 29 Jan 2010
Time: 7pm (1 hr duration)
Location: The Creative Cube
LASALLE College of the Arts, 1 McNally St, Singapore
Admission: FREE
Word of caution
Unless you can appreciate/enjoy Noise music, or if you find the noise from construction sites music to your ears, please DO NOT attend this concert.
Feedback and sounds worse than those from a construction site will be performed. And will go straight through your ears like a bullet straight through your head. Except that the bullet in your head will be much faster and less painful.
Fun as it was to collaborate with Mr Zbig, and much as I respect him,
I certainly WOULD NOT LIKE to be forced to quit school, or thought of as demon-possessed or perceived as a mental patient who escaped from IMH.
Zbigniew Karkowski has studied with composers Iannis Xenakis, Pierre Boulez, Olivier Messiaen, and Georges Aperghis and has produced numerous works in the field of both acoustic and electronic music including chamber works, pieces for large orchestra and opera. He is also the founding member of the electro-acoustic music performance trio Sensorband.
This is the last chance to catch Zbigniew Karkowski in Singapore for a while, the rehearsals with the students this week are sounding amazing! This will be something special.
Date: Friday 29 Jan 2010
Time: 7pm (1 hr duration)
Location: The Creative Cube
LASALLE College of the Arts, 1 McNally St, Singapore
Admission: FREE
Word of caution
Unless you can appreciate/enjoy Noise music, or if you find the noise from construction sites music to your ears, please DO NOT attend this concert.
Feedback and sounds worse than those from a construction site will be performed. And will go straight through your ears like a bullet straight through your head. Except that the bullet in your head will be much faster and less painful.
Fun as it was to collaborate with Mr Zbig, and much as I respect him,
I certainly WOULD NOT LIKE to be forced to quit school, or thought of as demon-possessed or perceived as a mental patient who escaped from IMH.
2010-01-21
...
Whoever said girls take a long time to get ready (-_-)
S will prove you wrong.
He takes around 2 1/2hours to get ready to leave home!! (@_@)
Sorry brother, someone just usurped your throne as the slowest person (lol)
Even I don't take that long to get ready.
Oh wait, I do take around that long to get ready when I need to do my hair too (-_-")
And also, this is scary.
*79.9% of females take "20min or less" to do their makeup*
Like, how do Japanese girls take less than 20min to finish their makeup!?
I can't do it!!
Speed makeup much? (@_@)
2010-01-02
Happy Birthday to Granduncle!!
For once, a light-hearted entry (lol)
You know I usually don't do this much,
but here's a little glimpse into my family anyway.
This post is a little late. Since his birthday was yesterday.
Yep, yep. Yesterday.
New Year Day is a busy day can?
Spent yesterday cleaning up the house, then showered and went to Granduncle's house.
Dad was waiting for us downstairs,
We went down, found him standing outside the car,
and so I conveniently plopped myself at driver's seat (lol)
I didn't even bother to ask, ha ha.
Some time coming to the end of December, I remember writing on my cousin's facebook wall,
whining that I've not seen him for a long time,
and the next thing we know, we saw each other yesterday!!
Ha ha.
So he managed to get out of camp (lol)
I called him on Boxing Day and he told me he had to spend X'Mas in army camp, ha ha ha!!
No life!!!
And my darling little boy was there❤
And I managed to get great shots with my iPhone.
I carried him with one arm, and snapped the photo with the other.
The boy is getting heavy, can?
And I managed to get a few sneak shots.
You must understand that the big boy dislikes being photographed.
And the photos turned out quite nice, even though I couldn't see what I was taking (lol)
Great expressions of the 2 brothers watching Power Rangers =)
And oh yes, before I continue with the upload of photos,
I gotta mention that soon after snapping photos,
it was time for dinner (since caterer had arrived) and there were many guests who had yet to appear,
so we had to eat first and clear the space for those on their way.
So I got dinner for the big brother, while my dad snapped at me for not getting him his food.
Can't he see the 2 small ones are more important!?
Grr...
So I took my revenge, by giving him all the chili garnish on the noodles, and spammed curry sauce on it.
Anyway, the younger brother was so totally engrossed in watching Power Ranger,
he split his lime juice on himself and had to change out of his clothes.
While I cleaned up the chair he was sitting on, and the floor.
That felt really familiar...
Didn't I just clean the floor in my house 2 hours ago!?!?
Yes, yes, I'm auntie-fied.
Not to mention when his parents went down to buy the birthday cake (we were all wondering where they were, lol)
I shared my dinner with the small boy, who after changing his clothes, continued watching Power Rangers and in no time got totally engrossed in it (lol)
It was the longest meal I ever had in my whole life.
I was just sitting there, feeding him, watching his mouth move and chew the food until I think he swallowed and fed him again,,,
I kinda forgot to feed myself, lol.
Damn, is that a mother in the making? =S
Oh yes, many of granduncle and grandaunt's friends (from the Japanese Buddhist Society) were there, and they were like, "Isn't this the kid that they took care of last time?"
"Yep"
"Aiyo!!! Grow so big already!!"
"Ha ha, yeah."
"Got boyfriend already?"
"No"
Oh please, say they won't start some stupid matchmaking for me.
Yes, apparently, I was quite popular with the aunties (lol)
Auntie-killer much? LOL
The wife was called out from the kitchen (where she had been the whole time round),
and I took another candid shot.
I love this picture really.
It's like symbolic of the wife saying "I'll stand by you through thick or thin",
And certainly, they have been standing by each other all these years.
It's simple actions like this that show love.
And they don't really express love for each other.
If you hear them talk, you'd think they're gonna argue (-.-)
And both of them have a smile on their faces =)
The beauty of their love for each other seems to accentuated in their smiles =)
Or maybe I just think too much
And the youngest grandson being carried by his grandfather.
Happy 71st Birthday, Granduncle!!
You know I usually don't do this much,
but here's a little glimpse into my family anyway.
This post is a little late. Since his birthday was yesterday.
Yep, yep. Yesterday.
New Year Day is a busy day can?
Spent yesterday cleaning up the house, then showered and went to Granduncle's house.
Dad was waiting for us downstairs,
We went down, found him standing outside the car,
and so I conveniently plopped myself at driver's seat (lol)
I didn't even bother to ask, ha ha.
Some time coming to the end of December, I remember writing on my cousin's facebook wall,
whining that I've not seen him for a long time,
and the next thing we know, we saw each other yesterday!!
Ha ha.
So he managed to get out of camp (lol)
I called him on Boxing Day and he told me he had to spend X'Mas in army camp, ha ha ha!!
No life!!!
And my darling little boy was there❤
And I managed to get great shots with my iPhone.
I carried him with one arm, and snapped the photo with the other.The boy is getting heavy, can?
And I managed to get a few sneak shots.
You must understand that the big boy dislikes being photographed.And the photos turned out quite nice, even though I couldn't see what I was taking (lol)
Great expressions of the 2 brothers watching Power Rangers =)
And oh yes, before I continue with the upload of photos,
I gotta mention that soon after snapping photos,
it was time for dinner (since caterer had arrived) and there were many guests who had yet to appear,
so we had to eat first and clear the space for those on their way.
So I got dinner for the big brother, while my dad snapped at me for not getting him his food.
Can't he see the 2 small ones are more important!?
Grr...
So I took my revenge, by giving him all the chili garnish on the noodles, and spammed curry sauce on it.
Anyway, the younger brother was so totally engrossed in watching Power Ranger,
he split his lime juice on himself and had to change out of his clothes.
While I cleaned up the chair he was sitting on, and the floor.
That felt really familiar...
Didn't I just clean the floor in my house 2 hours ago!?!?
Yes, yes, I'm auntie-fied.
Not to mention when his parents went down to buy the birthday cake (we were all wondering where they were, lol)
I shared my dinner with the small boy, who after changing his clothes, continued watching Power Rangers and in no time got totally engrossed in it (lol)
It was the longest meal I ever had in my whole life.
I was just sitting there, feeding him, watching his mouth move and chew the food until I think he swallowed and fed him again,,,
I kinda forgot to feed myself, lol.
Damn, is that a mother in the making? =S
Oh yes, many of granduncle and grandaunt's friends (from the Japanese Buddhist Society) were there, and they were like, "Isn't this the kid that they took care of last time?"
"Yep"
"Aiyo!!! Grow so big already!!"
"Ha ha, yeah."
"Got boyfriend already?"
"No"
Oh please, say they won't start some stupid matchmaking for me.
Yes, apparently, I was quite popular with the aunties (lol)
Auntie-killer much? LOL
The wife was called out from the kitchen (where she had been the whole time round),and I took another candid shot.
I love this picture really.
It's like symbolic of the wife saying "I'll stand by you through thick or thin",
And certainly, they have been standing by each other all these years.
It's simple actions like this that show love.
And they don't really express love for each other.
If you hear them talk, you'd think they're gonna argue (-.-)
And both of them have a smile on their faces =)
The beauty of their love for each other seems to accentuated in their smiles =)
Or maybe I just think too much
And the youngest grandson being carried by his grandfather.
Happy 71st Birthday, Granduncle!!
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