Gazetto, you spoil us..

[colberry]

I woke up today to find my tlist FLIPPING OUT WITH FLAILS and I knew - I just instinctively knew that PV previews were once again among us >:D  So, I figured I would make a little post about it, since I seem to be doing that whenever GazettE releases something (and it's fun to discuss happenings with you guys :D).

Comments

[avellere]

It may be shallow of me to be so concerned with pretty/non-pretty pictures, but I really think album artwork sets the overall tone for what's inside. Ohh, I completely agree with this. I've always thought that concept art was important for albums and DVDs (important for anything really, but especially if it's something that's being sold) because it's the first part that people notice and catches their eye when they're on the shelf. It makes them curious as to what the contents look like, makes them wonder what the image represents (besides just admiring how pretty it looks). And I think they give musicians a chance to put their words into pictures, to prove that they don't just make music, they make art. It gives their work meaning even when someone hasn't listened to the songs or read the lyrics yet.

That being said, what's fascinating to me is that Gazette used geisha as their album cover. And since their album is called DIVISION, it seems to me that they could be sending a message about Japan's structure. Something like old vs. new era--an age where once beauty wasn't just for the sake of beauty, but was also known as the symbol of the country. That they look pretty, but were also works of art (and something you can see was done with effort, not just cheap fabric or makeup). Whereas today, "art" is mostly child's play, with no thought put behind it and thrown out there for the public to consume. The track listing for the limited edition could point to this too, separating the Japanese and English titles. Or at least that's how I interpret it. My rambling could be wrong, of course.

Ibitsu actually reminded me more of REMEMBER THE URGE than SHIVER the first time I heard it. SHIVER to me sounds really "pop"-ish and soft, there weren't any parts that grabbed the ears and made it stick (even though the chorus was on loop in my head for a while, darn it). This preview, however, has a hard edge, a bit of a bite underneath the melodies. It sounds like one of their more "mainstream" songs (something that can circulate among radio stations easily), but solid nonetheless. The PV preview looks like something other visual kei bands have been doing (shots of the members with smooth transitions) and the black-and-white contrast reminds me of PLEDGE. Overall, I'm excited for the tune, not so much for the video. :|

And then DERANGEMENT. Oh man, I can't wait for this. It's dark, intense, and erotic, all of GazettE's specialties. I love the color contrast (Ruki's blue suit afsncjd) and everything is in your face when you watch it. And the part when they cut off. Ugh. WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

And this is going to sound convoluted, but about the vocal distortions...I've always thought that they gave more depth to the song. Not just for listening, but in terms of tone and what the words imply. Like when someone says one thing, but means something else? Or when someone wants to say something, but can't say it. I...don't really know how to describe it. The only example that comes to mind is VORTEX. The line "I'm too tragic to stay with you", where the vocals are distorted. To me, it sounds almost robotic, something that has been said before too many times, and in the song it's distorted to make it sound like they're "mocking" the speaker. Of course that doesn't mean they're actually doing it, only what it sound like to me.

I'm sorry for confusing you (and for the massive essay, holy shit), but I've always admired the amount of thought and detail GazettE puts in their music. That you pointed out a few of them made me think and well...I got carried away. Again. My apologies.

[colberry]

Pshh don't apologize, I love essays :DD ♥

...it seems to me that they could be sending a message about Japan's structure.
Oh my god, I love this idea. It would definitely be something they would do too. There are so many possible layers and that's why I adore this band. It's never the easy answer or what's on the surface >:D

This preview, however, has a hard edge, a bit of a bite underneath the melodies.
I agree and I also agree that it does have an RTU undertone as well. I guess what will separate it from one or the other is if Ibitsu has another layer to it - something harder, something acoustic (a la RTU) - or if it stays basically one note the entire time (a la SHIVER). I'm hoping for the former because it does sound lovely so far. And yeah.. the PV is alright, but unless there's something unexpected that occurs, I'm with you on being more excited for the actual song than watching it. And with DERANGEMENT's holy-shit-all-the-things-happening-adfghk, I wouldn't be surprised if Ibitsu was more muted overall.

*insert additional flails over DERANGEMENT*

I'm not against vocal distortions, not at all! I agree that it can give more depth to a song, but what always gets me worried is if vocoding will be relied upon rather than a clever add-in. Although, I shouldn't be concerned since GazettE has proven that they never use such things as crutches~

/end essay :3