BEAST - SELF LINER NOTES (CD&DL data 2010.07)
1
PLUG IN
(music: HYDE)
Similar to BYTE of the 1st (album), a sound effect prologue that opens the door towards the peculiar world of the work. “I have explained the image I had since the beginning to Jin-chan, I have collected sound materials, I made it joining together all this. As for feelings, the impression is that it starts the engine of “DEVIL SIDE”. For example, because I have the image that this new album is a beast like Frankestein or a monster, and that it’s starting to move, too, I’m using sometimes the sound of heart” (HYDE)
2
DEVIL SIDE
(lyrics & music: HYDE)
“When I listened to it for the first time, I thought: “Quite an heavy impression”, but anyway, because HYDE’s image was clear, we felt going directly towards it” (K.A.Z) “We made this song a single in order to create the VAMPS image and to show clearly the direction we want to take now. Lyrics are in English because: “Even if they aren’t in Japanese, if they are cool, it’s ok”.” (HYDE)
3
ANGEL TRIP
(lyrics: HYDE / music: K.A.Z)
“I thought that I wanted to make a song that could fit especially outdoors and we could make noise together with. As I thought, when I saw the fans of the previous tour having fun, I thought that such a song was necessary. Besides, this time I was aware that I was venturing to go in a direction that was not my strong point. If I hadn’t had this feeling, I think that I would have made this song a little darker” (K.A.Z) “At the beginning the title was “IT’S ALRIGHT”, but I changed it thinking to pair it with “DEVIL”.” (HYDE)
4
MEMORIES
(lyrics: HYDE / music: K.A.Z)
“It has the image of a broad view that has been amazingly opened up. For example, in U2 there’s a particular sense of opening/liberation, but I think it’s a song where there’s a sense of opening/liberation as if it leads there. Thinking of it, I don’t feel that we made it with this aim, I remember that we made it rather immediately” (K.A.Z) “The lyrics are quite embarrassing. But lately I no longer think that they are embarrassing (laugh), and I feel that it’s more enjoyable if they are a bit embarrassing.” (HYDE)
5
EUPHORIA
(lyrics & music: HYDE)
♪Don’t be afraid, come and join ♪ sings this song poisonous and extremely bewitching. “Because I’ve made this song at the same time as “DEVIL SIDE”, I feel that they are like brothers. As “DEVIL SIDE”, I began to make it with the idea of an Underground club. So depending on the landing of “DEVIL SIDE”, I might have thought that I wanted to make it the first single. But, as a result, I started to think that it was quite bewitching” (HYDE)
6
VAMP ADDICTION
(lyrics: HYDE / music: K.A.Z)
A thrilling development brings forth a serious feeling of tension, a suspense tune only K.A.Z can do. “According to the impression of the melody flow and the sound, sometimes, wondering about the lyrics, I feel that “the sound of English will match this”, even for this song I had this impression. So I told HYDE “Try with English”, and I believe that the sound of the lyrics turned out cooler than I expected” (K.A.Z)
7
REVOLUTION
(lyrics & music: HYDE)
“During last year tour, the dark horse (=surprise) was “TROUBLE”. It was a c/w, moreover a cover, but (the fans) got excited beyond our expectations, and on top of it I thought: “It represents the VAMPS image, what we didn’t thought about this song from the very beginning”. It’s crazy, danceable and a bit comical. It’s also sexy, I think. Being aware of it, I made this song. But, as a result, it’s not like that” (laugh) (HYDE)
8
THE PAST
(lyrics: HYDE / music: K.A.Z)
“Among the song I’ve composed this time, it’s definitively my favourite song. I think that I’ve never composed a song like this before, really. Also Josh seemed to like it very much, and he first completed the mix of this one. It has a sense of past, in the introduction the bass is added to a synthesizer bass, it has the impression to be English-like and also to have the atmosphere of a club in the ’80s. I started composing it from the arpeggio in the hook” (K.A.Z)
9
PIANO DUET
(lyrics: HYDE / music: K.A.Z)
“At the beginning I started composing with keyboard. I wanted to make it a song with simple phrases. I think that songs with simple phrases are very familiar, very gentle, aren’t they? I had somehow the image of a grandfather and a child, or, if not a grandfather, an adult and a child, playing (the piano) together. I wanted to make phrases as if an adult, sitting next to a child, is playing with him” (K.A.Z)
10
RUMBLE
(lyrics: HYDE / music: K.A.Z)
“This time I often went on composing songs taking aim quite precisely, so that each song colour could come out clearly, and I made this song aiming at creating a rockabilly atmosphere to the best of my ability. Quite a bad feeling. I think that it’s good if there is a song by which during a live especially a rhythm section could produce a terribly bad feeling” (K.A.Z)
11
GET UP
(lyrics & music: HYDE)
“I made this song turning towards the image of 2nd single that I had in my mind. I made it during the first part of the composing period and when I finished it I thought: “Ah, it’s good”. As to the lyrics, I thought that I could put Japanese in, but I decided to make it completely in English in order to distinguish it because it resembled closely the style of “ANGEL TRIP”, and I thought that it was good if it would be a song that all foreigner fans could sing” (HYDE)
12
SAMSARA
(lyrics: HYDE / music: K.A.Z)
It’s a piece that has an impressive sensation of a ethnic group, it’s like an interlude to go towards the finale.
“The title word means something like “to change flowing in a good direction”, and I thought it would fit this song perfectly. When the arrangement of this song made by K.A.Z was beginning, I wanted to put inside some melody, and at that time I added this title, too. It is performed by Miu Sakamoto” (HYDE)
13
MY FIRST LAST
(lyrics & music: HYDE)
“It’s a song that has investigated thoroughly only my own good feelings. As for my composing period, I had the feeling that it was already the end, the shoulder strength was failing me a little… It was snowing heavily right at that time, and there was nobody at home, in the silence I felt only my voice and my guitar resounding terribly. Out of the window it was snowing all the time. I felt good. I made this song with this feeling” (HYDE)