carddass

Hopefully the Hyde collab will just be exclusive for the anime and the album version will have Toshi.
If not, I'm afraid the next X Japan album's going to look like a typical rap album where every track has someone as a guest and you barely hear just the artist themselves:

1. Last Song feat. Will.i.am
2. Kurenai (English Version) feat. spoken word by David Lynch
3. Kiss the Sky feat. Way too many audience members who wasted too many minutes of their lives while the band took a break on stage
4. I.V. feat hide and Taiji during the solo and also the sound of a can of Yoshikirin being opened right on top of them in the mix, because oi$hii !
5. Rock Star feat. Marilyn Manson who tries to cover hide's Drain gremlin voice
6. Beneath The Skin feat. S.K.I.N.
7. Red Swan feat. Hyde
8. Angel feat. a duet with a Violet UK starlet that was sold a dream of fame and glory but who now realizes she spent too many years on the project
9. La Venus feat. Toshi but not Pata, Heath, and Sugizo
10. Art of Life (Last Refrain) feat. Oprah reading some inspirational passage written by Yoshiki about overcoming hardships in life and somehow struggling on

Limited Edition 1st Press Bonus Disc:
Yoshiki featuring Lady's X
1. Without You
2. Born to be Free
3. Scarlet Love Song
4. Jade
5. Hero

HERE 5th album, "OH YEAH" will be released on September 5 in 3 types. They will also hold their release tour, "僕らのHIGH TENSION DAYS 2018-2019" from their free live on September 4 to November 22. Further dates will be scheduled in 2019.
 
流通最強盤 (strongest edition) - 2 CDs, 3000 yen
Live-limited edition - CD/DVD, 3500 yen
 
[CD tracklist]
1.Fantastic!!
2.HIGH TENSION DAYS
3.ヘッチャラ
4.クラシカルダイヴ
5.Walk This Way
6.OH YEAH
7.スーパーポジティブ
8.ロックスターに会いに行こう
9.ネバギバ
10.ほったらかし
11.MANをZIしてROCKSTAR
12.Amazing!!
 
[CD 2 tracklist (strongest edition only)]
1.LET’S GO CRAZY
2.チャンチャンチャンスDEダンダンダンス
3.はっきよい
4.感情超常現象
5.己 STAND UP
6.ゾッコンROCK ON
7.タイアップは君だ
8.CHAOTIC SYMPATHY
9.この世界よりこんにちは
10.死ぬくらい大好き愛してるバカみた
 
[DVD tracklist (live-limited edition only)]
(live recording from their live at 2018/05/15)
 

Sorry guys, there's gonna be some delays. On the brightside, I think we've got last minute additions to some backing choruses.
 
 

You really have to wonder, after the early 10's where he was doing solo / Kuroyume / Sads all at the same time, and the subsequent fallout of the kuroyume brand/licensing, that none of his decisions are being made on artistic merits anymore. He pretty much whored out the kuroyume name and, effectively, it went bankrupt from bad deals or promises he couldn't deliver.

Do you think kiyoharu / his management are getting as lucrative advances and deals like he did in the 00s where he was cranking out solo albums once or twice a year and countless A-B-C type singles (thanks Avex!) ? He doesn't have the marketability anymore...he released the last single through live shows and has consistently always tried to pump up live ticket sales by offering live-only CD releases. That's more money directly to him.

And as much as I love his solo rhythmless work, it almost feels like he couldn't, or didn't want to pay a full band to back him up in his solo act. The rhythmless setup allows him to be a lean himself + 2 other people. And  when he does full band solo shows, gone are the 30-40 song setlists which in the past was quite an amazing feat. Long setlists cost rehearsal time or money and instead he's doing more normal 20-something song setlists. That Rhythmless residency from last year or the year before usually means an artist wants to earn with consistent gigs without having to travel and tour like crazy. And he shut down his official website last year...I mean...who shuts down a website with over 15 years of history/brand recognition for a website that isn't even maintained and updated!?! https://www.kiyoharu.tokyo/pre/

So this Sads hiatus, mere months after starting up again, doesn't surprise me...sounds like another head-scratcher in the long line questionable moves.

You really have to wonder, after the early 10's where he was doing solo / Kuroyume / Sads all at the same time, and the subsequent fallout of the kuroyume brand/licensing, that none of his decisions are being made on artistic merits anymore. He pretty much whored out the kuroyume name and, effectively, it went bankrupt from bad deals or promises he couldn't deliver.

Do you think kiyoharu / his management are getting as lucrative advances and deals like he did in the 00s where he was cranking out solo albums once or twice a year and countless A-B-C type singles (thanks Avex!) ? He doesn't have the marketability anymore...he released the last single through live shows and has consistently always tried to pump up live ticket sales by offering live-only CD releases. That's more money directly to him.

And as much as I love his solo rhythmless work, it almost feels like he couldn't, or didn't want to pay a full band to back him up in his solo act. The rhythmless setup allows him to be a lean himself + 2 other people. And  when he does full band solo shows, gone are the 30-40 song setlists which in the past was quite an amazing feat. Long setlists cost rehearsal time or money and instead he's doing more normal 20-something song setlists. That Rhythmless residency from last year or the year before usually means an artist wants to earn with consistent gigs without having to travel and tour like crazy. And he shut down his official website last year...I mean...who shuts down a website with over 15 years of history/brand recognition for a website that isn't even maintained and updated!?! https://www.kiyoharu.tokyo/pre/

So this Sads hiatus, mere months after starting up again, doesn't surprise me...sounds like another head-scratcher in the long line questionable moves.

You really have to wonder, after the early 10's where he was doing solo / Kuroyume / Sads all at the same time, and the subsequent fallout of the kuroyume brand/licensing, that none of his decisions are being made on artistic merits anymore. He pretty much whored out the kuroyume name and, effectively, it went bankrupt from bad deals or promises he couldn't deliver.

Do you think kiyoharu / his management are getting as lucrative advances and deals like he did in the 00s where he was cranking out solo albums once or twice a year and countless A-B-C type singles (thanks Avex!) ? He doesn't have the marketability anymore...he released the last single through live shows and has consistently always tried to pump up live ticket sales by offering live-only CD releases. That's more money directly to him.

And as much as I love his solo rhythmless work, it almost feels like he couldn't, or didn't want to pay a full band to back him up in his solo act. The rhythmless setup allows him to be a lean himself + 2 other people. And  when he does full band solo shows, gone are the 30-40 song setlists which in the past was quite an amazing feat. Long setlists cost rehearsal time or money and instead he's doing more normal 20-something song setlists. That Rhythmless residency from last year or the year before usually means an artist wants to earn with consistent gigs without having to travel and tour like crazy. And he shut down his official website last year...I mean...who shuts down a website with over 15 years of history/brand recognition for a website that isn't even maintained and updated!?! https://www.kiyoharu.tokyo/pre/

So this Sads hiatus, mere months after starting up again, doesn't surprise me...sounds like another head-scratcher in the long line questionable moves.

Sorry guys, there's gonna be some delays. On the brightside, I think we've got last minute additions to some backing choruses.
 
 

Sorry guys, there's gonna be some delays. On the brightside, I think we've got last minute additions to some backing choruses.
 
 

Sorry guys, there's gonna be some delays. On the brightside, I think we've got last minute additions to some backing choruses.
 
 

Sorry guys, there's gonna be some delays. On the brightside, I think we've got last minute additions to some backing choruses.
 
 

Sorry guys, there's gonna be some delays. On the brightside, I think we've got last minute additions to some backing choruses.
 
 

Sorry guys, there's gonna be some delays. On the brightside, I think we've got last minute additions to some backing choruses.
 
 

munimuni released this single last month at live shows and just announced today that it would be on sale at Disk Union on August 15th. in both a regular version and special edition with a DVD. The single contains 3 remixes and single version of  the new track 'Velvet Miwaku Tonight' from their forthcoming new album 'Diary of Mr. Moonlight'. Diary has been teased since it was mentioned in the liner notes of 'The Doguu Album' and has been hinted at in flyers, on the website and newsletters as coming out in 2018.

The track listing for Velvet Miwaku Tonight:

1. boys -feat.toy=ki- remix by zull+r.sugihara
2. VELVET魅惑TONIGHT(超電導velvet single version)
3. THE DOGUU SONG-20018- remix by CANOU(deads)
4. MY LUCIFER -Red Room Remix- remix by 西邑卓哲(FOXPILL CULT)

The DVD contains 6 songs from their 2018/1/14 Shibuya RUBY ROOM live. Two confirmed tracks are the yet unreleased 'Time is Fate' and Believe from Magaru Sekai.

Order the single at Disk Union: http://diskunion.net/jp/ct/list/0/718843
More from the official website: http://munimuni.ciao.jp/desco.htm

And in the newsletter announcing the new single, Kanon also shared lyrics to one of the new songs the band has been performing live recently. It name drops the seminal VK act Zi:Kill's early albums in the first verse:
 
[20019 (NEO SONG 2018)]
窓の外に半分人間。
アンダーザムーンライト・・・。
真世界 クローズダンシング
REAL OF THE WORLD
 
イカれたファッション
華麗なるファッション
マジファッション
 
ネガ/ポジ
ネガ/ポジ
ネガ/ポジ
 
頭は白菜
ナイトフィーバー最高！
乱れたファッション
離す小瓶、爪の跡にも・・・。
薔薇サイン。
 
一切合財、びよよん倶楽部に投資・・・。
 
Vanity Love,Vanity Rose...†
 

munimuni released this single last month at live shows and just announced today that it would be on sale at Disk Union on August 15th. in both a regular version and special edition with a DVD. The single contains 3 remixes and single version of  the new track 'Velvet Miwaku Tonight' from their forthcoming new album 'Diary of Mr. Moonlight'. Diary has been teased since it was mentioned in the liner notes of 'The Doguu Album' and has been hinted at in flyers, on the website and newsletters as coming out in 2018.

The track listing for Velvet Miwaku Tonight:

1. boys -feat.toy=ki- remix by zull+r.sugihara
2. VELVET魅惑TONIGHT(超電導velvet single version)
3. THE DOGUU SONG-20018- remix by CANOU(deads)
4. MY LUCIFER -Red Room Remix- remix by 西邑卓哲(FOXPILL CULT)

The DVD contains 6 songs from their 2018/1/14 Shibuya RUBY ROOM live. Two confirmed tracks are the yet unreleased 'Time is Fate' and Believe from Magaru Sekai.

Order the single at Disk Union: http://diskunion.net/jp/ct/list/0/718843
More from the official website: http://munimuni.ciao.jp/desco.htm

And in the newsletter announcing the new single, Kanon also shared lyrics to one of the new songs the band has been performing live recently. It name drops the seminal VK act Zi:Kill's early albums in the first verse:
 
[20019 (NEO SONG 2018)]
窓の外に半分人間。
アンダーザムーンライト・・・。
真世界 クローズダンシング
REAL OF THE WORLD
 
イカれたファッション
華麗なるファッション
マジファッション
 
ネガ/ポジ
ネガ/ポジ
ネガ/ポジ
 
頭は白菜
ナイトフィーバー最高！
乱れたファッション
離す小瓶、爪の跡にも・・・。
薔薇サイン。
 
一切合財、びよよん倶楽部に投資・・・。
 
Vanity Love,Vanity Rose...†
 

munimuni released this single last month at live shows and just announced today that it would be on sale at Disk Union on August 15th. in both a regular version and special edition with a DVD. The single contains 3 remixes and single version of  the new track 'Velvet Miwaku Tonight' from their forthcoming new album 'Diary of Mr. Moonlight'. Diary has been teased since it was mentioned in the liner notes of 'The Doguu Album' and has been hinted at in flyers, on the website and newsletters as coming out in 2018.

The track listing for Velvet Miwaku Tonight:

1. boys -feat.toy=ki- remix by zull+r.sugihara
2. VELVET魅惑TONIGHT(超電導velvet single version)
3. THE DOGUU SONG-20018- remix by CANOU(deads)
4. MY LUCIFER -Red Room Remix- remix by 西邑卓哲(FOXPILL CULT)

The DVD contains 6 songs from their 2018/1/14 Shibuya RUBY ROOM live. Two confirmed tracks are the yet unreleased 'Time is Fate' and Believe from Magaru Sekai.

Order the single at Disk Union: http://diskunion.net/jp/ct/list/0/718843
More from the official website: http://munimuni.ciao.jp/desco.htm

And in the newsletter announcing the new single, Kanon also shared lyrics to one of the new songs the band has been performing live recently. It name drops the seminal VK act Zi:Kill's early albums in the first verse:
 
[20019 (NEO SONG 2018)]
窓の外に半分人間。
アンダーザムーンライト・・・。
真世界 クローズダンシング
REAL OF THE WORLD
 
イカれたファッション
華麗なるファッション
マジファッション
 
ネガ/ポジ
ネガ/ポジ
ネガ/ポジ
 
頭は白菜
ナイトフィーバー最高！
乱れたファッション
離す小瓶、爪の跡にも・・・。
薔薇サイン。
 
一切合財、びよよん倶楽部に投資・・・。
 
Vanity Love,Vanity Rose...†
 

This is a far cry from when he cosplayed as David Sylvian and released an album with some depth, longevity and timelessness like he did with Roentgen. I can listen to that album today and somehow it doesn't feel dated. I can't say the same about much of his recent output with Vamps and now this track.

With Who's gonna save us, it sounds very much like pop music these days where the track was shopped around by a producer first before landing a home. If you removed Hyde from the mix, would you listen/appreciate the music the same way?

This is a far cry from when he cosplayed as David Sylvian and released an album with some depth, longevity and timelessness like he did with Roentgen. I can listen to that album today and somehow it doesn't feel dated. I can't say the same about much of his recent output with Vamps and now this track.

With Who's gonna save us, it sounds very much like pop music these days where the track was shopped around by a producer first before landing a home. If you removed Hyde from the mix, would you listen/appreciate the music the same way?

The Black Comet Club Band has released their 3rd album 'The Wild Bunch' digitally on May 26th preceding their tour of the same name.

『THE WILD BUNCH』
2018.5.26 ダウンロード先行配信
＜収録曲＞
全曲：作詞/作曲　高野 哲　編曲：THE BLACK COMET CLUB BAND
M1 THE WILD BUNCH
M2 Revolver
M3 Deracine
M4 Poker Face
M5 John & Jane Doe
M6 John Doe
M7 Jane Doe
M8 Amapola
M9 誘惑 (yuuwaku)
M10 Yabadabadoo
M11 Perfect Strangers
M12 Que Sera,Sera

TBCCB is a band formed by Tetsu Takano (ex Malice Mizer, ex Mega8Ball Zigzo, nil, The JuneJulyAugust) that merges together members of both nil and JJA.

The album is advertised as being "Subscription only" but can be purchased through various online music retailers listed on the official page:
http://www.wildbunch.site/

Furthermore, while the website and most of the online retailers list the album as being 5 tracks only, Google Play actually has the full 12 track album for purchase and download. Perhaps it is a mistake and the intention is for only 5 tracks to be released as a digital teaser with the full 12 track album to be released at a later date on CD? If so, snap up the album in case they revert it back to only 5 tracks like the other retailers~
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/THE_BLACK_COMET_CLUB_BAND_THE_WILD_BUNCH?id=Bswv7rc4vf4ucuxjidaxyrn3dku

It's gonna be legen... wait for it...
 

At least they're using soundboard audio. While I appreciate good video quality (I'm a video editor) and it irks me to see how sloppy some indie bands/labels edit or produce their videos like that blatant misspelling of devidskullnorecords.com, having good soundboard audio will save even the poorest quality video production.

And I know once I buy a DVD / bluray, I just end up watching it once or twice through, maybe playing it in the background after that and mostly I listen to the ripped audio again and again. So I'm looking forward to this one~

 

He worked 90 hours for what?!?
Sure, La Venus is a new recording but Without You was probably in the can for quite a while now. The rest are just the same-old same-old.

I've thrown out these numbers before but here's X Japan's output through what I've grouped as their major recording / releasing moments:

1987-1991: 25-30 songs: Vanishing Vision, Blue Blood, Jealousy, Art of Life (The last one was written / recorded in 90 and 91 but released later of course)
1992 -1997: 11 songs or so: Dahlia + The Last Song
1998-2017: 10 songs or so. I've included their hiatus years since Yoshiki recycled a few Violet UK songs for X Japan

Depending on how you look at it, releases and songs are getting less and less as more time goes on. If and when this new album comes out, that's it. X Japan as we know it will just be a live act milking the fan's wallet's dry.

And if you really want to look at it, their most productive period was when X was a band with everyone contributing (87-91). Basically as soon Taiji got kicked out, they became X Japan and Yoshiki became a mega diva, the band as a whole stopped functioning properly as a recording artist.
 

I agree early era X is great and would love to hear proper studio versions but I actually wouldn't fault him for not releasing those. For starters, most were never recorded in a studio. A few of those (Right Now, Tuneup Baby, Only Way) were directly done by guitarist Jun / Hisashi Takai and once he left, none of those songs were really played again afterwards, IFAIK.

SBR, Feel Me Tonight and Lady in Tears had demos but nothing they could remaster by any means, even if those master tapes existed they would possible sound not great since they didn't have a budget to properly record, and you know Yoshiki and his recording habits now!, not to mention they all scream of 80's Iron Maiden influenced metal which the band has long moved past.

Install never made it far and it's probably for the best. It wouldn't have fit well with VV, I think. I doubt a proper studio version exists for the same usually no time / no budget  scenario most bands suffered through early in their careers.

I'm more annoyed that alot of those demos on Rose and Blood didn't get picked for Jealousy. 'Shadows' , 'Light Breeze' and 'Rose and Blood', while being somewhat typical of the time period and the latter being Xclamation 2.0, would've rounded out the album better. I don't hate many X / X Japan's songs but that album has two of my most hated, Desperate Angel and Joker (Celebration 2.0!) that I would've gladly traded out for the aforementioned demos. Those demos were clearly better songs and with proper recording polish would've sounded even better. But of course, we know the story, Yoshiki didn't like the demos, the band got annoyed the songs didn't get used and Taiji ultimately got kicked out.

I've always dreamed and hoped that the early Violet UK tracks would get released one day. The ones from 1996-2001 or so. It's a crime that they never did.  White poem I is a great example that escaped obscurity by being used as a X song, the rest were snippits used in the 7-11 commercials, the Sane movie, and in a few other odd promotional places. They had an old school trip hop feel or like Massive Attack which had broken big around the same time before the VUK project became mush-filled electronic songs like a protools sample project screaming about the infinite number of layers it could support which is what those songs in 2005 on myspace and Itunes felt like . I imagine there being no chance of those every being released now, if they were, they'd be reworked into dreck.

Here's one VUK early song which legend goes was played at a press event by Yoshiki.  Amazing to my ears!
 
 

…。【サイレンス】(Silence) new single, "baby butterfly" will be released on March 10. The single will also be distributed to those who attend their 10th anniversary oneman live on the same date.
 
[tracklist]
1.baby butterfly
2.散歩にでかけよう (Sanpo ni dekakeyou)
 

Continuing their tradition of rearranging and rerecording their old tracks, cali≠gari will release their new self-cover mini album "3" in spring. They will commemorate the release with a double gig at Shinjuku LOFT on 2018/03/14 (first concert starts at 18.00, second one at 20.30).
 
Unfortunately I could not find the actual release date of the mini album itself, only something about a general sale starting at 02/24 (but I suspect that's for the live tickets).
 
3 tracklist
01. 破れた電報 (Yabureta denpou)
02. 新宿ヱレキテル (Shinjuku Elekiter)
03. コバルト (Cobalt)
04. 君と僕 (Kimi to boku)
05. 空も笑ってる (Sora mo waratteru)
06. 腐った魚 (Kusatta sakana)
 
Here's the complete blurb from their site.
 
The band will also release another self-cover mini album titled "4" with jazz-style rearrangements of some of their previous songs. Both "3" and "4" should be simultaneously available in stores from 2018/04/25.
 
4 tracklist (tentative and not in order)
・ 誘蛾灯 (Yuugatou)
・ さよなら、スターダスト (Sayonara, Stardust)
・ 君が咲く山 (Kimi ga saku yama)
・ 月光ドライブ (Gekkou Drive)
・ わずらい (Wazurai)
 
More info on "4" here.
 

I'm not sure if I recall there being a DVD in a CD shape. Perhaps it was the re-release of Zigzo (Got S and dis-Star -Best of ZIGZO-) which included the PV VHS on DVD for the first time.

Here's most of the official live releases

DVD
-The Last Scene (2002)
-The 2nd Scene (2013) 2012-03-17 live with an extra DVD including their warm up gig on 2011-1-20 at Shibuya O-West
-Beyond the Moment (2013 or 2014) featuring a concert from 202

VHS (both never  released on DVD)
-The First Scene 2000
-Wonderful Days - 2001-12-27 Shibuya AX (Fanclub only)

Lives broadcast on WOWOW or some other TV channel:
-1st Scene ZIGZO (WOWOW SPECIAL 1999.07.01) extended version of what was officially release on VHS
-1999-09-23 SAPPORO STARTING (The First Scene)
-Zigzo (2001-05-26 ZIGZO NIGHT) During the performance of 'my problems' , there is an interlude with Tetsu singing a few lines of lyrics that he would reuse a few years later for nil's Neon from Excalibur.

For audio bootlegs, they released every show  from their 2012 tour and the first few 2013 shows on their official website. That website is defunct now.