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Just got the Shure SE315. I have been trying out different pairs this week, because my Sony XBA-4 and Ex90 are both broken (and warrantied out). Most shops around here don`t have enough Sony or AudioTechnica which I like, so I was trying all the other brands and not liking any. Today I tried a different shop, and tried their BeyerDynamic`s (didn`t like the sound), and some others. Most were too bass heavy or didn`t balance what I wanted, or didn`t kick in enough. Others had that far-away in a box type sound (real technical descriptions, I know). The guy gave me the SE315 to try, since I prefer the multiple driver sound which these are designed to go along with, and was actually amazed that I liked the sound; these headphones are so fresh! I was still on the fence since I usually only buy certain brands, but he gave me a $150 flat-out price, and they usually go for $250-300 in Canada, so I decided to buy them. Sound Details: They are much more flat and even to my ears, not too much bass, and they respond very nicely to things that `kick-in` in Rock songs, like drops and so-forth. They also balance dense songs well, as well as walls of sound, so it suits Rock music. I tested them on a few things, including: SuG BLACK album: Tested them to see if they can capture the sound as well as the pairs I had been using until recently. They did very well, I particularly tested them on MISSING, since it has a dense intro and there are some sounds that are hard to hear or balance on many headphones (for example the screaming in the right ear that peaks at 17 seconds in). Girugamesh INCOMPLETE: I use this to test how well sharper sounds held up, on many headphones I find this track (and album) sounds way too rough and the sound gets lost if there is no timbre. I also like to test how well it responds when the song kicks in during the intro, and the middle of the song. If I can`t really feel the power when it kicks in I wont like the headphone. DIV SECRET album: Used it to test how the rich vocals sound. It produced them very well but I started to notice here that the percussion sounds kind of annoy me if I pay attention. External Details: They are the style I prefer for in-ear, which is a huge body (the bigger the better) especially since it fits into your ear and blocks sound very well. The wires are the kind that go behind your ears, which I always find a little annoying but if they help the headphone stay in when I ride my bike or whatever, then I will appreciate them. It is plastic and would probably break easily, but it fits into the ear and doesn`t stick out so I think they will be protected. The cables detach from the body by a twist-and-turn technique which seems secure. They are pretty thick without being over-kill. The case is fugly and cheap though. I have a million cases so no big-deal for me, but I think they should provide something better for a semi-expensive model. Summary: More even and balanced sound than usual, great isolation (for me), and great sound for Rock music. I still prefer the Sony XBA line, but if you can get a good price, and like the sound, these are worth it. Early review and they should `warm-up`and sound even better, but for now, at $150:

INTRO: SuG`s first album since leaving PSC and stating something along the lines of `we could no longer continue going on this way`. These events can provide different interpretations of BLACK, which manages to carry on SuG`s identity while sounding vastly different from their previous works. As an album it has much more unity between the tracks, with a heavier sound throughout the majority (B.A.B.Y. is the only song that really ties in with the Heavy Positive Rock sound that they may have been mentally typecast in). Among the 17 songs on the album, no two tracks are the same, typical of their adventurous and diverse approach to songwriting, yet the whole album fits together as one work with one identity, that falls under the album title very nicely, unlike their previous album, for example, which felt like it had a distinct A-Side and B-Side seperating the lighter more positive tracks, and the heavy, sharp tunes that start appearing midway through (I loved that album as well, none-the-less!) MEMBER PERFORMANCES: A really unexpected shocker upon my first few listens was the huge step up in each members performances, as well as their prominence in different tracks. I`m not sure if they were previously holding back on past releases to create a different kind of sound, or if they have really being putting in work, but each member really stepped out and shone on this album. Their tone is also excellent. Click the spoiler if you want to see a breakdown of each member. Details on the Sound: A heavier sound, good use of electronic elements and guest arrangements, tracks that put aside the electronic elements altogether and focus on the band, and what is now a SuG signature: Absolutely amazingly deep production with a huge Sonic and Tonic range. The album is an absolute pleasure for me to listen to in terms of how much they can have going on at once, without emphasis on what is important being lost, and without taking away the listener`s ability to follow one individual instrument or input through-out. The album features lots of different elements fused together, in what feels like a huge major release`s production combined with a rock band`s style and sensibility with the members in full control. The synth`s, strings, horn sections, and other elements really make the album interesting for me. Also, the singles are spaced out and placed nicely to give them some renewed freshness, and avoid that `played out` feel. HELLYEAH originally by Takeru`s Uwakimono project is also re-done in a heavy rock style. How does it feel and how much do I like it? Despite being such a heavy album and some heavier lyrics, the album still seems so upbeat to me, and still has so many parts to either rock out to, or groove along with that it is indeed quite peculiar. With many other band`s the sound or themes might make the songs downers, or one`s you play in a certain mood, but I could really put on these songs in any mood and enjoy, though they will have different effects in different situations. I`m not one for much comparison, but it`s definitely the album that I feel will get the most play from me out of their discography to date, and an album that leaves you waiting for what is next (while playing the tracks out). Track Count: 17 (4 previously released as well as 1 re-done track) Listens: 10 Production Quality: Overall Rating: Worth the Purchase? With BLACK you get a unique experience that may not be to your taste, as the style, sound and delivery go to quite unique lengths. It`s a band and experience that really stand out, and do something different that mixes niche and mainstream experiences into something different altogether. Even watching the PV`s doesn`t give you the full idea of what the album is about, as there are so many different tracks each with their own unique feel. If you are a fan of their previous work, besides just the more colorful side, you will want to hear this. If you enjoyed the latest PV`s you are in for more than that, but you will probably enjoy yourself. There are instant stand-out tracks, and like usual with SuG, some growers that I appreciate more with each listen. For me, personally, this has quickly become my favorite release this year (even beating out my favorite band!), and has been something I have immensely enjoyed. During my first listen, I felt like I was really experiencing something; something different. And the feeling only grows with each spin.

Oh man so funny, lol. And then the part where he is leaving almost brought a tear to my eye, but he had to say 'BLACK!'

Hello, Due to recent events with the band Alice Nine, I have been thinking more about Crowd-Funding and other techniques that bands or artist`s can use to take alternate approaches to releasing music, and working in the industry. I am sure many of us have different opinions, and have also heard our fair share about seemingly noble causes, as well as doubtful or downright disagreeable cases of crowd-funds / Kickstarter`s. Here is a quick Questionnaire that may make posting easier, although you can obviously feel free to write in any format, and talk about any area of music from across the globe. Do you trust Crowd-Funds? Have you ever given money to any form of Crowd-Fund? What band`s do you think you would support if they had a Crowd-Funded project? What do you think your donation range would be? (Be honest, you don`t have to worry about being seen as a cheap-skate, and don`t have to be Mr. / Mrs. Moneybags.) Are special awards or gifts valuable to you? (Early access to tracks, special messages from the band (or whoever), other perks, etc...) Do you think crowd-funding is a sustainable practice (can it be used often or only on occasion), and that many bands can use it at the same time, or does it present an even greater price-tag to fans? If Crowd-Funding became more popular, would that create a greater wealth gap in the music industry, where more popular bands can sustain more releases and advertisement, while smaller bands can not succeed or compete, and labels are not as profitable so fewer bands can actually exist on a visible level? What do you think of Alice Nine`s project so far? Any notable musical crowd-funds you want to mention (worldwide or Japanese, though they are different markets)? Should a Crowd-Funded release be free? Or should it only be free for those who donate? Does crowd-funding affect your view on downloading a release? ----- Still thinking it over myself, so I may post mine again later, though so far: Do you trust Crowd-Funds? I don`t trust them, I don`t believe it is always ethical to market towards regular consumers to invest in something that is a dangerous market for even the most skilled Venture Capitalist`s or Angel Investors Have you ever given money to any form of Crowd-Fund? No, I have invested in other ventures but not Crowd-Funds. What band`s do you think you would support if they had a Crowd-Funded project? As for band`s that I would support at the moment, not sure, but the angle A9 is coming from is more of an inspiring one, where they are trying to get back to being themselves, so I would be more inclined to support band`s that are coming from similar situations as opposed to ones that may come off as simply unable to secure record contracts. What do you think your donation range would be? (Be honest, you don`t have to worry about being seen as a cheap-skate, and don`t have to be Mr. / Mrs. Moneybags.) For music, if I really did donate, it would be somewhere reasonable to me, although I am already feeling that the gifts handed out for A9 in particular are tempting! Are special awards or gifts valuable to you? (Early access to tracks, special messages from the band (or whoever), other perks, etc...) Yep, as mentioned above, if the gifts are good, it can kind of hustle you into raising your donation, even for a shrewd spender... Ten or twenty bucks more and I get this!? Do you think crowd-funding is a sustainable practice (can it be used often or only on occasion), and that many bands can use it at the same time, or does it present an even greater price-tag to fans? Anything can happen, but at the moment, not on a large scale. I think, like everything else the audience will eventually turn against it, and move on to the new thing they want or think is best for business. If Crowd-Funding became more popular, would that create a greater wealth gap in the music industry, where more popular bands can sustain more releases and advertisement, while smaller bands can not succeed or compete, and labels are not as profitable so fewer bands can actually exist on a visible level? If it ever, theoretically moved to a larger scale, I think if not linked to the record industry it would diminish a certain part of the musical economy, and give a big advantage to bigger bands, where-as smaller bands would get lost in the mix. It might be harder to diversify yourself or convince an audience, and if you fail at raising funds, you are left with even less gained than if you flopped a record or tour. What do you think of Alice Nine`s project so far? Interesting, it can definitely be a milestone, especially for one of the biggest modern Visual Kei bands to succeed at it, and with such a message behind it that I think will connect with other bands. Ultimately I think it needs to move beyond crowd-funding though. Any notable musical crowd-funds you want to mention (worldwide or Japanese, though they are different markets)? Nope. Should a Crowd-Funded release be free? Or should it only be free for those who donate? Does crowd-funding affect your view on downloading a release? I think it can depend on the level of donation, obviously, but I am debating on the subject of charging again for a release. As for downloading, I feel like more people may think `we funded it, we should be able to do what we want with it`, and that for cases like A9, people may just release the tracks early to others, and also release the bonuses such as the HQ tracks, etc... So, I think despite people being positive about crowd-funds some will still want to dictate what is done with the music made. Thanks for reading (and possibly answering).

Wow. After 9 and then Supernova I became much less of a fan of the band, which was possibly my favorite up until (and including) Gemini. From then on I saw that the band changed a lot, and always seemed overworked while having uncharacteristic output gaps in content (same as SuG before they left). Now I see that they are making a statement about themselves and how they feel, and I not only like the music more, and have that old feeling back where I can`t wait to see what they do next, I also respect them much more. Rebellion is obvious in terms of what they are saying, as is the Phoenix title. But I could also interpret the mask he is wearing as another form of `rebellion` as they started really pushing Shou as a pretty-boy for fans, and started heavily marketing their looks more and coming out with different editions of CD`s with designs based only around each member`s faces (similar marketing started for ViViD, based all around their good looks). So I find it cool that they made a PV not showing his face, putting more emphasis on the music. As for the crowd-funding, I was not sure how to feel, since I know they are still a huge draw in terms of CD sales and tickets as well as merchandise, so I wondered why they needed to do this, and checked out the official page for it as well as some more info. On the page itself, they talk about not agreeing with the way sales are done, getting people to buy the same stuff, and charting etc... And that they were being moved away from what they felt was an emphasis on making good music, to an emphasis on something else. So it seems they are using crowdfunding to have more control over their own work, and develop a new kind of relationship with their fans. My main issues would be that we are kind of paying twice for the product, since we already buy the albums, tickets, etc... And that some fans would pay larger amounts, although it`s their own money and their own decision, and due to the size of their fan-base, if theoretically 50k people put in 100 yen each, then the project is fulfilled. I`ll see how it develops. Just my thoughts on the news. EDIT: Crowd-Fund Project is to fund the recording, PV shoot, and other things like promotional material, so they can do it all independently. When they reach their target they will also make an additional PV. Any additional funds raised will be used to `increase quality` of their works in terms of recording, equipment used, etc... They will show all financial data, and gifts for supporters include early access to tracks, HD tracks, track data (such as vocal only, drum only tracks, etc...) And I just noticed the page has an English option so everyone should be able to read it.