5 posts tagged “kiyoharu”
Isn't this so amazingly beautiful? Their voices really compliment each other. I also watched a duet between kuroyume and L'arc and ciel- from around 91/92...before I was born most likely! o_o It was pretty awesome but definitly made one think "should have been there"- not quite as great recorded if you know what I mean.
It's weird to think I'm only fangirling over Kiyoharu now, yet he was around when I was but a kid. Actually in 99, the year we moved to the UK, I think SADS came over to the UK for a tour!! But obviously only 7/8 years later I would discover the band- and know about the tour.
Sometimes these things are pretty wierd. Some people have been fans of musicians since they started, seen them when they were teens and now as adults, can go on about how they have changed since back then. Some people know alot of about older generations of music. Most haven't though have they? Very few perhaps would be better wording. For me- thinking about it properly, even after 2 years I'm still a Jpop/Jrock newbie. I don't even listen to the majority of bands and singers around now, nor do I really have that much knowledge about it. I guess because I listen to Jpop/Jrock, Cpop/C-rock and Krock/Kpop I cannot really devote my all to one!!
What i'm getting at is I think it would definitly be interesting if more people shared music from Japan from older era. All I've heard of (not neccesarily heard their songs) are Pink Lady, X Japan, D'erlanger (I think that's it), BUCK TICK, Kuroyume and Koshi Inaba (who I think was around in the 90's or earlier- not entirely sure. I've only heard a song by him! [edit] turns out he's vocalist of B'z. [/edit])
Plus a few more who have been going for 20 years or more- like BUCK TICK and some others I cannot recall!
Need more 80's Jrock!! XD And what about the 70's? Or 60's? I mean I don't even know what was going on in Japan at that time... let alone the music.
but yeah. You get my point （^_^） I might start googling this soon- see what I can find. :D
And wow. I originally planned to share the performance, and just mention the l'arc and the whole 92 thing. Somehow it morphed into these strange musings!
I found a kiyoharu livejournal community!! It's great to read about him, and see news!! Kiyoharu is sadly unpopular : ( Don't hear much about him. Glad to find a community with up to date info!! I kinda stopped listening to Kiyoharu for a while but I've gone back into fangirl mode now XD
Well news is that he will be releasing two new albums september 9th!! Both contain 8 tracks, which will be accoustic versions of his songs, SADS and kuroyume. Limited editions come with DVDs though content has been unconfirmed.
I also really want Kiyoharu clips which is a collection of his PVs.
And I was gonna buy some Nell albums.
Stupid music industry. There's always too many things to buy!! And it's too expensive. I'm a jobless 16 yr old- I survive on my allowance. I just spent a tonne of money buying clothes too.
Hm...decisions decisions... I'm definitly being tempted quite alot. Definitly very very tempted here.
FINALLY got hold of this single!!! Only the regular edition though :( Gonna review it straight away, it will probably be awesome. haha. I agree with Cliff that the 4 versions is riduculous though, and very off-putting. As someone who is still desperatly trying to save enough money to buy his albums and a few favourite singles: having to decide which 4 to buy of this single is annoying. I probably won't buy any- as I said, I'm more a fan of getting albums and only singles if they have a B-side unavailable on a album that is really good.
Anyway, this is Kiyoharu's 15th single released on 2008.05.14 with a total of 4 versions. The limited editions had a collection of the main A-side, Samidare, with tracks Bohemian, Shiro to Kuro, Bara Shoku no Yume. Oh and limited edition C instead of having Samidare, has a Samidare accoustic available. All the limited editions came with a DVD, with a PV and a "making of" movie of some sort. Only the regular edition doesn't come with a DVD (of course- how else to make money for yourself while leaving the fans desperatly poor? POO. All the limited edtions- why do you tempt me so?!)
Also out of the covers, the only one I really like is Type A. Type C is OK but blurred, an I don't particulary like the effects used on Type B and regular.
Tracklist (regular edition only!!)
1: Samidare
2: EMBRACE
Samidare is one of Kiyoharu's more upbeat songs, with funky guitar parts and a little bit of synth. Kiyoharu sounds great, of course, and the song is quite relaxing to put on and listen too.
EMBRACE is a very smooth song filled with alot of synth and electronic effects. It's really sexy through the verses, though I'm not a fan of the huge electronic/dial tone thing in the middle- kinda kills my speakers. Also Kiyoharu's voice sounds slighlty smothered by the instrumentation. The "I want to embrace you" is very sexy though, Kiyoharu's vocals are still top-notch and the song also has a nice repetetive little ostinato in the background, as well as a great guitar part.
Overall- I love this man. There are very few songs of his I don't like, or haven't listened to (Still working on the B-sides of his singles admittedly). If I ignore the whole "lets make as much money from my dedicated fans" scheme behind it all- then this is a great single. Kiyoharu always manages to put out great music which is beautiful and relaxing. Often, I'm shocked by his talent. If I have the chance to get hold of the other version, i will review them too. Excellent, and long awaited, releese from Kiyoharu.
I've always wondered, if I were to tell my friends "I listen to Japanese music" and they wanted to hear something- what on earth would I reccomend? Well...
1: Ayumi Hamasaki (memorial address, song for xx... not sure.)
2: Luna Sea (I for you, Gravity, Sweetest coma again)
3: Kiyoharu and SADS (Rinne, Slow, Life beyond desperation, Awake)
4: Plastic Tree (Spica!!!! Alone again wonderful world too. I've not listened to alot of them- though I plan to!)
4: 12012 (Caus' they are my favourite and most listened to J-rock after SADS and Kiyoharu. Shower, Deep forest in particular)
5: Gackt (Caus' he's sexy. Redemption, mind forest and Yami no Shuen. Ahh...and last song!)
6: Chihiro Onitsuka (She has a beautiful voice and her songs are very moving. Infection, Drifting feathers)
(this list could change at anytime apart from those in bold who I adore and think are extremly talented. I like 4 to 6 but not sure about what my friends would- and seeing so that's the focus of this post...)
What about you? Is there anything that you'd never ever tell anybody you listened to it? :P Is there something you'd force onto your friends?
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I've been listening to LUNA SEA lately. I'm curently working through their best of albums- it's amazing! To be honest I've never like X-Japan, the singers voice annoys me, however for LUNA SEA their music is just so beautiful. Everything sounds so unbeliavbly right, and it's even relaxing in a way. A fantastic listen and the singer has a beautiful voice. I think the guitarist (Sugizo?) is also very talented. I've not skipped a song yet, and that's something for me. Only Ayu, Kiyoharu, SADS and Chihiro Onitsuka get that sort of treatment from me : ) Naturally, there's one or two but not quarter of the album like I usually do!
I can totally see the hype around LUNA SEA. They are total awesomness.
Other than that- have you heart Plastic Trees alone again? It's amazing! Though at first the constant, repetitive in-your-face guitar part annoyed me It grew on me: Ryotaro (is that right?) has a beautiful tone to his voice. I love the chorusy bit : ) At first I admired Plastic Tree for their visuals, but I'm steadily begining to love their music as well. I'm definitly gonna save up for some of their ablums. Also, have you seen the merchandise for their upcoming concert tour too? I so want the t-shirt and wrist-strap- the panda is adorable!! (Sasabuchi has the pictures of them)
Olivia has new song! Title "bleeding heart" (inspired by bleeding love?) it's a really nice laid-back pop rock special Olivia ethereal-ness type of song. I didn't like it that much at first but I love it now. So glad she's back and still sounding fantastic. I think Nana was the best thing for her, she's really matured :D
Lastly, Just like to say that I don't really like Ayu's new single. I don't know but everything annoys me about it. The covers are photoshopped in all the wrong ways, and Ayu looks weird expresion wise. The PV no matter the meaing is wierd and over the top, And her performance of it was equally over the top. She couldn't walk in the shoes. The song itself is really good, though the string part is unnecesary and it really doens't stand out as anything amazing. Life is also OK but mediocre, and the two new versions though wonderfull sung were never songs I liked from Ayu. I would have prefered "Powder snow" or "song for xx" or even "poker face". Depend on you's instrumentation sounds ripped off from somewhere. also, there is a riduculous amount of versions"! all in all, money-grabbing good but nothing special single. Dissapointing after the awesomeness that was GUILTY.
That's about it. Bai bai : )
Vinny beach is Kiyoharu's 4th album released on 2006.07.12. The title translates to "the Imaginary Seashore". It is my first and probably favourite 清春 album; packed with a variety of styles tied together by certain themes, and lots of emotion. There is only one song on this album I don't really like, and that's saying something.
The album opens with the slow, melancholic instrumental 「架空の海」(The imaginary seashore) It's very relaxing, making you think of a distant beach. The synth and careful guitar work, plus some steady drums come together perfectly in an almost hypnotizing rhythm- like waves coming in and out over the sand.
Following this short instrumental comes "Dance". Dance is total contrast to「架空の海」being quite upbeat and catchy. The bass guitar part is so cool, the first thing you hear before the rest of the rock instrumentation comes in and remaining prominent throughout. Kiyoharu's voice sounds amazing as always- soft and gentle in the verses before becoming loud and passionate for the chorus etc (his voice changes all the time, for great effect. Kiyoharu dominates the song, even as the instrumentation is also pretty awesome in itself). The song is funky and passionate but still remains as relaxing as the first song- good for chilling out to, I would say.
After dance comes "bye bye"- another upbeat song opening with some heavy distortion before the rest of the instrumentation comes in and the song becomes smooth and calming. It starts very gritty but becomes really funky and also quite upbeat with a bit of dark edge to it. Each instrument has its moment to shine, yet throughout the song you can still hear each distinct part: and it comes together without any dissonance. The song becomes very busy, and heavy especially towards the end just before it abruptly ends. The rhythm of bye bye is very infectious- repetitive enough to be catchy, but not to the point where it is boring. I love the subtle changes. This song is very smooth, including Kiyoharu’s fantastic vocals. I like how muffled his voice sounds though. This song never lingers- even Kiyoharu doesn’t hold the “bye bye” too long as you may expect, which creates the mood of a quick parting, without any remorse- but it’s beautiful.
Moving on to Emerald which is also nicely done, just as you would expect. Again there are beautiful rhythms and instrumentation, and gorgeous vocals, notably rougher than in the previous song. Emerald as a whole is louder, and rougher than the previous tracks.
Track 5 "slow” was my first Kiyoharu song introduced from Perfect girl Evolution- and one of my favourite songs of all times. This song is a brilliant composition. It’s actually hard to express how much I love it. “slow” is a wonderful acoustic ballad that is romantic as it is bittersweet and filled with an…almost a sadness, not quite longing or desperateness but there is that edge to it. Of losing something, accepting it, but still longing for it. Kiyoharu sounds so incredibly emotional, and the instrumentation is...amazing. I love how it opens so simply, and then it builds up to become stronger, louder. This song is almost comforting with the precious feelings it depicts so perfectly through Kiyoharu’s gentle, but passionate, vocals and the amazing instrumentation. Love the lyrics too (which I was lucky enough to find a translation for):
“Ah, on the nights that I think of you, in a sweetly smelling breeze, There isn't a disappearing reason, traces of you save me, Ah, if I come to myself tomorrow, have the words lost meaning? If the mistakes that added up spoke to me, Ah, our shared dreams from those days are now in the distant wind, But your future and happiness will go on forever,
Ah, if you can sing to me, I'll go towards your image that reaches me just a little, A comforting kindness will pass through my heart.”
Moving onwards… After the extraordinary “slow” is another epic track, "cold rain". This was first a SADS song that was not released but performed live, that has been remade as this song. I have not seen that performance (unfortunately), so I cannot compare- however this version is amazing. From the moment this song begins, you know it's going to be a pretty powerful song. Starting loud and in your face it tones down steadily to be quiet, smoother, yet filled with a desolate, heavy feeling. It is a very emotional rock song. Kiyoharu’s vocals are raw here- powerful and laced with emotion. He’s almost shouting at times, but without losing the quality or emotion of his voice. I love the “lalala” part and the echo is a great effect, too. Just as it began it ends with a steady drumming, before the last synth fades away. This song is pretty epic. “cold rain” is a powerful song that throws raw emotion at you in a beautiful way. (haha)
Following these powerful tracks is club[Hell]- the album does a 360 from the other tracks for this gritty, and almost sensuous track. It’s back to the playful (this track feels quite playful in a more rebellious way), funky and upbeat rhythms of earlier tracks combined with muffled but passionate vocals from Kiyoharu . I didn’t like this track when I first heard it, and it still doesn’t stand out to me but it’s pretty good.
The synth from club[Hell] flows easily into the next track「星座の夜」(night of stars) which is also upbeat and lively, very cool and funky. It sounds a lot like club[hell] in it’s playful nature but there is something different in the feel of this song, it’s not quite so dark and is more hopeful. This song feels light, melodic and happy. Kiyoharu’s vocals are smoother, gentler, here too and aren’t muffled like before. I adore his sensual adlibbing towards the end. There is something about this song I enjoy more than club[Hell] even it still doesn’t stand out to me.
Then it is "Travel". The pace is steady, and the heavy bass make it like the song really does sound like you are travelling. It's a laid back, relaxing type of travel though. There is no rush to get anywhere at all, just enjoy the ride (and the guitar often gives a feeling of excitement overlying the steady bass line, the constant travel compared to say the feelings of the person themselves). At the end the song builds up becoming faster, everything speeding up. Throughout the song you can hear how Kiyoharu's voice is much deeper at times, and I just love his adlibbing. This song has a brilliant feeling to it, and it’s easy to get lost within it.
Track 10 "Mizuumi" is a lot slower, but continues the trend of smooth songs to get lost within. The gentle, twinkling instrumentation is just lovely. Once again, Kiyoharu's voice adepts and becomes slow and smooth- oozing emotion.
"And I can't feel nothing" is yet another incredible track. Kiyoharu manages to sing like he's bored/numb, but still make the song sound interesting. The repetition of sounds/words is really clever. The "I knows" also really stick in your mind. Some gorgeous guitar work here, too (although this entire album has some amazing instrumentation, as well as outstanding vocals, throughout). This song is soft and quiet but not lacking in a very subtle emotion and power that makes it compelling to listen to. I really love this song so much.
The next track 「この孤独な景色を与えたまえ」(Please Give Me This Lonely View) is very slow and relaxing. During the verses it sounds like it is holding back, which only makes the build up to the chorus even more powerful. Kiyoharu’s vocals are rich and filled with emotion. This whole song is filled with longing and a sort of sadness....but something more complex than just pure sadness. Complex, human emotion. Overall it is a calming (soothing…) song, and comforting in the same way as “slow”. And much like the instrumental track at the beginning, this song has a synth and instrumentation that makes it feel all watery, not quite the ebb and flow of waves but you could imagine that lonely shore once more.
Lastly is 「君の事が」(about you) which follows the same style as the previous track, but is much more hopeful. The acceptance of sad feelings and of moving away from them- although on saying that this song is hopeful and uplifting, there is of course that edge of loneliness and sadness to it. But it is the perfect ending to this album. There is so much emotion in this song, and as you’d expect the composition of this song itself is incredible as well as Kiyoharu’s vocals. He also uses his lovely vibrato here (Kiyoharu has the sort of vibrato that sometimes, quite literally sends a shiver through me). This is the perfect ending to a perfect album.
Overall rating: 29485897435/10 (Awesomeness)
Favourite tracks: Pretty much everything ^^
Everything just sounds really right in this album. It's just brilliance. Sheer brilliance. so emotional, relaxing, beautiful sung and composed. Amazing PVs, gorgeous CD art. A brilliant masterpiece. Awesome-ness.
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