"Luna Sea Comes Roaring Back" - 9/98 English magazine article
Written by Jon Scott Harp
Eye-Ai, September 1998. Vol. 22, No. 258. 2-4.
1 2 3
Gasps filled a packed Yokohama Arena last summer when the five members of Luna Sea announced their intention to take a year off to pursue solo careers. “Don’t worry,” pleaded lead singer Ryuichi as he tried to quell a chorus of boisterous objections, “It’s just one year. We’ll be back. We promise!” Reportedly, many dedicated Luna Sea fans weren’t quite sure “just one year” wouldn’t become something more permanent. Then, much to the surprise of critics and fans alike, the individual members of Luna Sea started expressing themselves in ways no one had ever imagined. And people liked what they saw. Ryuichi, in particular, was so successful in his gentler incarnation as Kawamura-kun, people seriously began to doubt whether rejoining Luna Sea would be a wise career move. His highly memorable “Love” was a smash hit and his former band was a fading dream.
Or so it seemed. All five members of Luna Sea-Ryuichi, J, Sugizo, Inoran and Shinya-are, it turns out, men of their word. Almost one year to the day, they’ve come back. And with a new album entitled “Shine” (released July 23) and two sold out concerts slated for August 9 and 10, again at Yokohama Arena, it is as though Luna Sea hasn’t missed a beat, slowed its pace, or lost any of the excitement that has thrilled fans since the early 90’s. Fast though time flies, a lot can happen in one year. Each member has undergone a change or two-some rather significant-and have a lot to tell about what one year of solo work has allowed them bring to the mighty musical entity Luna Sea, easily one of the top three rock bands in Japan today.
RYUICHI
The overwhelming success of Ryuichi’s one year solo effort may not have surprised his fans much, but he was. Not only did his two CD albums, “Cranberry Soda” and “Love” sell a combined total of 7 million copies, but he managed to present himself so differently from his alter-ego in Luna Sea, some people thought he was an altogether new artist. As an individual, it turned out, Ryuichi discovered that he could make it on his own without a band. But rather than take this as his cue to abandon his pledges to reunite with his compatriots, Ryuichi viewed his experimentation with individuality as a mechanism to see more clearly the true beauty of Luna Sea as an entity in its own rite [sic], not merely a grouping of five musicians.
Ryuichi explains: “By returning to Luna Sea, I have been able to confirm how much the band really means to me. Even when we were out on our own, having gone our separate ways, I still felt connected to the other guys. In that sense, it was if we were never really separated.” But he is quick to add that Luna Sea is not “his religion.” In fact, such a notion is the antithesis of what Luna Sea stands for, he emphasizes. Whatever is human and real is what has value, he likes to say.
His having been away from the band, however, did complement his abilities as a singer. “When the band started recording ‘Shine,’” he explains, “my approach to laying down the vocal tracks was completely different than before. I used to never be able to enter a recording session without a lot of mental preparation. But on this album, I walked up to the microphone completely blank, and didn’t start getting into the spirit of the music until after the intro began to play. And it was the same way on each and every track.” Ryuichi is basically saying that he has achieved spontaneity, a quality that vocalists usually spend years hoping to achieve. As a more relaxed and less self-conscious performer, Ryuichi has returned to Luna Sea with an extra asset. And on the thirteen tracks of “Shine” it shows.
J
If there was anyone in Luna Sea who really needed a break from Luna Sea, it was J. As an alcoholic, J has a few horror stories to tell concerning his horrible addiction to alcohol, now a past chapter in his life. He says, “You know, when it got to the point that I would open up a can of beer the first thing in the morning, and drink all day and all night until I fell asleep, I knew it was time for a change. I went to L.A. and the influence of the music scene was very positive on me, contrary to popular images. Musicians in L.A. don’t smoke and they don’t drink. It was hard for me, but I’m clean now and more importantly, I’m dry.”
As a reformed man, J’s return to Luna Sea felt perfect right from the first note the band struck up. Like Ryuichi, he is intensely aware of the concept of band as entity, not merely a collection of musicians. J feels that the Luna Sea entity is more powerful and purer now than ever before, and that with the new album “Shine,” Luna Sea is closer to perfection than any time before. For J personally, having freed himself from the scourge of alcoholism is a bonus of its own. And for the band, it can only bode well for had there been no change in J, Luna Sea might now be a lesson in how personal excess leads to professional decline. Hard rock, it can be seen, does not necessarily have to float in alcohol to deliver thrills.
SUGIZO
While the other four members of Luna Sea have discarded the flashy garb of their earlier days, Sugizo still likes to dress and behave flamboyantly. Sugizo blames this personality trait on the seriousness of his teenage years when he was forced to study hard in school, while he pushed himself to master the guitar. Those days have taken their toll on him psychologically. “I am an extreme person with incredible highs and lows. This trait is reflected a lot in most of our albums, but in ‘Shine’ too,” he explains. “I am constantly intrigued by the fact that although music is a universal set of tones, and mass-produced instruments are the same, the music that people play is so different. What accounts for this? The people who play the music. That is the only true variable.”
A year of solo activities did not alter Sugizo nearly as much as it did Ryuichi and J. But as far as he (and a number of critics) are concerned, this is for the better. Luna Sea is famous for its ability to shine brightly with very positive music on some songs and on others cast eerie gloom. Sugizo is largely responsible for this aspect of Luna Sea’s music. Lest fans conclude that Luna Sea’s guitarist is the black sheep of the band, the wholly ordinary aspects of his personality should not be forgotten either. He loves traveling, to Europe in particular. And the teenager that he lost out on when he was younger? He’s making up for lost time. “I’m reliving my teenage years now by indulging myself in whatever way I like whether partying or being on stage,” he beams.
INORAN
Probably the most reluctant to spend a year away from band activities was Inoran. But the break, painful and lonely though it might have been, was a blessing in disguise. To keep himself occupied, Inoran made the transition from a fairly productive songwriter to a rather prolific songwriter. “Working in a band is full of several types of activities including touring and promotion, as well as recording. But being solo allowed me to concentrate on songwriting most of the time.” Last year between the middle of September to the beginning of October, Inoran reports that he composed seven or eight songs (some are on the “Shine” album).
Inoran also feels that as a musical entity, Luna Sea hasn’t really changed that much musically. But in terms of stronger delivery and tighter coordination between the other members, Luna Sea is a better band. He expresses it this way: “Luna Sea has never been able to put out 100% until now.”
SHINYA
As drummer of Luna Sea, Shinya was interested in experimenting with vocal work during his one-year break away from the band. He also played a lot of different types of drumming that are not applied in heavy rock music. His solo work, by definition, was probably the most deviant from the Luna Sea sound and therefore, more daring and challenging.
Intriguingly, however, what Shinya was able to distill from his experience was the ability to bring the concept of “band as entity” closer to perfection than every before. “When I play now,” he describes, “the drums don’t stand out as an element of the music, but mixes to form one sound, the sound of the Luna Sea entity. I am very pleased with ‘Shine’ and I think it’s our best creative effort to date.”
As can be clearly seen, the members of Luna Sea have returned from their solo activities with a renewed vision of what they originally set out to do with the formation of their now legendary band. As a band they are better and stronger. And what lesson can they derive from this experience that a lot of people in Japan might do well to pay attention to? A good vacation can do individuals, and apparently bands, a world of good!
Eye-Ai, September 1998. Vol. 22, No. 258. 2-4.
1 2 3
Gasps filled a packed Yokohama Arena last summer when the five members of Luna Sea announced their intention to take a year off to pursue solo careers. “Don’t worry,” pleaded lead singer Ryuichi as he tried to quell a chorus of boisterous objections, “It’s just one year. We’ll be back. We promise!” Reportedly, many dedicated Luna Sea fans weren’t quite sure “just one year” wouldn’t become something more permanent. Then, much to the surprise of critics and fans alike, the individual members of Luna Sea started expressing themselves in ways no one had ever imagined. And people liked what they saw. Ryuichi, in particular, was so successful in his gentler incarnation as Kawamura-kun, people seriously began to doubt whether rejoining Luna Sea would be a wise career move. His highly memorable “Love” was a smash hit and his former band was a fading dream.
Or so it seemed. All five members of Luna Sea-Ryuichi, J, Sugizo, Inoran and Shinya-are, it turns out, men of their word. Almost one year to the day, they’ve come back. And with a new album entitled “Shine” (released July 23) and two sold out concerts slated for August 9 and 10, again at Yokohama Arena, it is as though Luna Sea hasn’t missed a beat, slowed its pace, or lost any of the excitement that has thrilled fans since the early 90’s. Fast though time flies, a lot can happen in one year. Each member has undergone a change or two-some rather significant-and have a lot to tell about what one year of solo work has allowed them bring to the mighty musical entity Luna Sea, easily one of the top three rock bands in Japan today.
RYUICHI
The overwhelming success of Ryuichi’s one year solo effort may not have surprised his fans much, but he was. Not only did his two CD albums, “Cranberry Soda” and “Love” sell a combined total of 7 million copies, but he managed to present himself so differently from his alter-ego in Luna Sea, some people thought he was an altogether new artist. As an individual, it turned out, Ryuichi discovered that he could make it on his own without a band. But rather than take this as his cue to abandon his pledges to reunite with his compatriots, Ryuichi viewed his experimentation with individuality as a mechanism to see more clearly the true beauty of Luna Sea as an entity in its own rite [sic], not merely a grouping of five musicians.
Ryuichi explains: “By returning to Luna Sea, I have been able to confirm how much the band really means to me. Even when we were out on our own, having gone our separate ways, I still felt connected to the other guys. In that sense, it was if we were never really separated.” But he is quick to add that Luna Sea is not “his religion.” In fact, such a notion is the antithesis of what Luna Sea stands for, he emphasizes. Whatever is human and real is what has value, he likes to say.
His having been away from the band, however, did complement his abilities as a singer. “When the band started recording ‘Shine,’” he explains, “my approach to laying down the vocal tracks was completely different than before. I used to never be able to enter a recording session without a lot of mental preparation. But on this album, I walked up to the microphone completely blank, and didn’t start getting into the spirit of the music until after the intro began to play. And it was the same way on each and every track.” Ryuichi is basically saying that he has achieved spontaneity, a quality that vocalists usually spend years hoping to achieve. As a more relaxed and less self-conscious performer, Ryuichi has returned to Luna Sea with an extra asset. And on the thirteen tracks of “Shine” it shows.
J
If there was anyone in Luna Sea who really needed a break from Luna Sea, it was J. As an alcoholic, J has a few horror stories to tell concerning his horrible addiction to alcohol, now a past chapter in his life. He says, “You know, when it got to the point that I would open up a can of beer the first thing in the morning, and drink all day and all night until I fell asleep, I knew it was time for a change. I went to L.A. and the influence of the music scene was very positive on me, contrary to popular images. Musicians in L.A. don’t smoke and they don’t drink. It was hard for me, but I’m clean now and more importantly, I’m dry.”
As a reformed man, J’s return to Luna Sea felt perfect right from the first note the band struck up. Like Ryuichi, he is intensely aware of the concept of band as entity, not merely a collection of musicians. J feels that the Luna Sea entity is more powerful and purer now than ever before, and that with the new album “Shine,” Luna Sea is closer to perfection than any time before. For J personally, having freed himself from the scourge of alcoholism is a bonus of its own. And for the band, it can only bode well for had there been no change in J, Luna Sea might now be a lesson in how personal excess leads to professional decline. Hard rock, it can be seen, does not necessarily have to float in alcohol to deliver thrills.
SUGIZO
While the other four members of Luna Sea have discarded the flashy garb of their earlier days, Sugizo still likes to dress and behave flamboyantly. Sugizo blames this personality trait on the seriousness of his teenage years when he was forced to study hard in school, while he pushed himself to master the guitar. Those days have taken their toll on him psychologically. “I am an extreme person with incredible highs and lows. This trait is reflected a lot in most of our albums, but in ‘Shine’ too,” he explains. “I am constantly intrigued by the fact that although music is a universal set of tones, and mass-produced instruments are the same, the music that people play is so different. What accounts for this? The people who play the music. That is the only true variable.”
A year of solo activities did not alter Sugizo nearly as much as it did Ryuichi and J. But as far as he (and a number of critics) are concerned, this is for the better. Luna Sea is famous for its ability to shine brightly with very positive music on some songs and on others cast eerie gloom. Sugizo is largely responsible for this aspect of Luna Sea’s music. Lest fans conclude that Luna Sea’s guitarist is the black sheep of the band, the wholly ordinary aspects of his personality should not be forgotten either. He loves traveling, to Europe in particular. And the teenager that he lost out on when he was younger? He’s making up for lost time. “I’m reliving my teenage years now by indulging myself in whatever way I like whether partying or being on stage,” he beams.
INORAN
Probably the most reluctant to spend a year away from band activities was Inoran. But the break, painful and lonely though it might have been, was a blessing in disguise. To keep himself occupied, Inoran made the transition from a fairly productive songwriter to a rather prolific songwriter. “Working in a band is full of several types of activities including touring and promotion, as well as recording. But being solo allowed me to concentrate on songwriting most of the time.” Last year between the middle of September to the beginning of October, Inoran reports that he composed seven or eight songs (some are on the “Shine” album).
Inoran also feels that as a musical entity, Luna Sea hasn’t really changed that much musically. But in terms of stronger delivery and tighter coordination between the other members, Luna Sea is a better band. He expresses it this way: “Luna Sea has never been able to put out 100% until now.”
SHINYA
As drummer of Luna Sea, Shinya was interested in experimenting with vocal work during his one-year break away from the band. He also played a lot of different types of drumming that are not applied in heavy rock music. His solo work, by definition, was probably the most deviant from the Luna Sea sound and therefore, more daring and challenging.
Intriguingly, however, what Shinya was able to distill from his experience was the ability to bring the concept of “band as entity” closer to perfection than every before. “When I play now,” he describes, “the drums don’t stand out as an element of the music, but mixes to form one sound, the sound of the Luna Sea entity. I am very pleased with ‘Shine’ and I think it’s our best creative effort to date.”
As can be clearly seen, the members of Luna Sea have returned from their solo activities with a renewed vision of what they originally set out to do with the formation of their now legendary band. As a band they are better and stronger. And what lesson can they derive from this experience that a lot of people in Japan might do well to pay attention to? A good vacation can do individuals, and apparently bands, a world of good!