aspir(al)ing

Regurgitate.

Posted by terri | Filed under tunes

Eight years ago, I remember going through the tough time of having my favorite band break up. I kind of felt like a child of divorcing parents (yet again) when LUNA SEA decided to part ways due to creative exhaustion. From the sound of their last album, I could understand why it was time. And though I started out as a fan of Ryuichi Kawamura, the band’s lead singer, I found it sad to hear his solo work come at the expense of the my favorite band. Out of pure fangirl-ism, I had purchased every album Ryuichi Kawamura released following the breakup, but I still missed LUNA SEA.

I certainly was not alone in missing LUNA SEA. Perhaps their handlers knew this as they kept regurgitating LS’s old work with re-releases of their albums and videos. And throughout YouTube came cover bands posting their amateur and sometimes painful efforts of capturing LUNA SEA’s chemistry and energy. The two ideas seemed to come together in a commercially available album called Re:birth by a bunch of no-name artists. Being a fangirl, yes, I ended up getting it; but not to sound too pathetic, I didn’t have to pay for the entire $40 sticker price (yowza) as I had accumulated enough purchases to at Hakubundo to get most of that cost covered (okay, maybe I now I sound pathetic.) Fittingly enough, it was from buying a bunch of Ryuichi Kawamura and LUNA SEA stuff over the past 8 years that got my stamp card filled. Surprising, right? NOT.

So how is the CD? It’s been almost a month since I got it, and I have to say that it actually is quite good. Instead of the rehash I thought it would be, it was actually well thought out with different styles of music such as R&B (“SHINE”), Electronica (“IN MY DREAM”) and believe it or not, NuMetal (“ROSIER”). I wouldn’t be too thrilled to have paid $40 for it, but getting it for somewhat free makes it a good have.

Though LUNA SEA has not released any new material since their break-up, they did throw a HUGE bone to their fans this past year with a one night only reunion concert on Christmas Eve called, “God Bless You ~One Night Dejavu~.” One part of me was so envious for all the LS fans getting to attend, and another part of me held very little expectation for a great show because of RYUICHI’s voice which had drastically changed with his solo persona and also how their energy differed without the angst that fueled their music before. Christmas Eve came and went, and I didn’t really think much about it until I checked it out weeks later on YouTube. I have to say that I was incredibly impressed by the energy they brought to that performance and how RYUICHI actually sounded like RYUICHI and not his 河村隆一 persona.

I know LUNA SEA probably did the concert mostly for the money, but I have to say that they sold me; when the inevitable DVD was released this past month, I bought it. I really felt that RYUICHI vindicated himself in that performance, and made me truly believe that RK and RYUICHI could really co-exist. Despite the sticker shock I got from my special-ordered DVD from Hakubundo, I have to say this was an awesome buy. I think the fact that I was able to rip the video and make audio tracks with GarageBand made the gouging less painful. (After all, they did give me that free CD, right?…right?)

Not sure if I could buy another thing more if LUNA SEA were to regurgitate any further. My new iMac is coming in a few days… Oh yes, she will be mine… And it will be PB&J for lunch for quite some time…

Tags: luna sea, ryuichi, 河村隆一

Aloha!

Hello from the island of O'ahu in the beautiful state of Hawaii. I am terri, a local girl who at 30 is trying to make sure that life doesn't entirely pass her by. I've recently become engaged and am enjoying living a great life in paradise.