X Freaks Forum
The band => News => Topic started by: Tahemet on May 16, 2023, 03:15:38 AM
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I didn't think the day would come, but X Japan finally releases another song.
Yoshiki just announced at the Grammy Museum that "Angel" will be released on July 28th.
It's not the album, but better than nothing.
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Wow surprise
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that was indeed unexpected
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oh.. WOW!!! :)
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I hope Angel is pretty different from the live versions. In “We are X” it was alluded that it would have more guitars. Fingers crossed
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Personally I like the live versions but yes, I would love to hear a version with drums/guitar/bass
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I should feel optimistic but I feel like the single will be released, and we’ll hear nothing from X for another 5-6 years, and nothing else will ever get released from TLRS.
I hope that I’m wrong.
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As long as we get Kiss the Sky someday, I’m good. Would love the album as closure, but that’s the only song that I feel like would be worth all the drama and waiting. We will see
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I should feel optimistic but I feel like the single will be released, and we’ll hear nothing from X for another 5-6 years, and nothing else will ever get released from TLRS.
I hope that I’m wrong.
Let's hope for the best.
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So their lawyers got some shit together enough to release a single, but not the album, or even performing together again...
... or will Yoshiki simply release the single with another singer like Red Swan? (https://i.mydramalist.com/Qxzbv_5c.jpg)
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So their lawyers got some shit together enough to release a single, but not the album, or even performing together again...
... or will Yoshiki simply release the single with another singer like Red Swan? (https://i.mydramalist.com/Qxzbv_5c.jpg)
that's the question.....maybe it is a test balloon
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I am hoping (again) for the best. Let’s hope they figured their relationship out and can return as X again with the album and some shows
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People, don't get too excited until you have bought/downloaded the song. LOL
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It is possible Toshi doesn’t care about this considering the vocals would have been put on years ago. I hope that’s not the case
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I guess it comes down to whatever contract they had and that maybe Toshi couldn't stop the release even if he wanted?
No word from him about the release...I am not even surprised.
Pata didn't either, but he isn't that active on Twitter.
Sugizo didn't post anything either.
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I guess it comes down to whatever contract they had and that maybe Toshi couldn't stop the release even if he wanted?
No word from him about the release...I am not even surprised.
Pata didn't either, but he isn't that active on Twitter.
Sugizo didn't post anything either.
Even the "official" announcement sounded so "formal".
Everything about it is super weird.
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I guess it comes down to whatever contract they had and that maybe Toshi couldn't stop the release even if he wanted?
No word from him about the release...I am not even surprised.
Pata didn't either, but he isn't that active on Twitter.
Sugizo didn't post anything either.
Even the "official" announcement sounded so "formal".
Everything about it is super weird.
Yeah, is odd. Why even put it out now?
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Good question.
I still think it is some kind of test balloon.
And will Toshi even be the vocalist??
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I hope Angel is pretty different from the live versions. In “We are X” it was alluded that it would have more guitars. Fingers crossed
After the press conference, they did a Q & A with the audience. Yoshiki confirmed then that it would be a full band version.
And yea, while I am more than excited about the prospect of hearing some new X, the announcement has been a bit off...
The first thought I also had was whether Yoshiki had simply got another vocalist to feature. However, during his performance, he made reference to the controversy surrounding Red Swan and Hyde as vocalist, and wanting to avoid any future controversy. So it makes me pretty certain that it is Toshi that will be singing.
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Wow I can't believe we are talking about a new release here. But I wont believe it fully until I bought the single. ^^°
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Wow I can't believe we are talking about a new release here. But I wont believe it fully until I bought the single. ^^°
If an actual physical single is released. All of X singles released after the reunion where only available on streaming platforms or iTunes.
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Yea, I am going to guess we won't see a physical release. If we did, they have enough post reunion material to spin out a nice EP with some live tracks as well.
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https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/871559f4be35e713828d815a48fc34bed90099c9
Things don't look good, according to some "music insiders" in Japan.
Here's a translation by /u/girlinium, from Reddit.
His distinctive high tone voice was unique and irreplaceable. There was a time when the group broke up, saying they could not continue without him. But the passage of time has drastically changed the distance between them. As fans around the world watched, one issue with X JAPAN's "new music" surfaced anew...
'X JAPAN's first new song in eight years, 'Angel', will be released on 28 July'. The announcement, which was made with a lot of enthusiasm in Yoshiki's voice, was greeted with cheers and applause from the audience. However, the man himself seemed to be somewhat unfazed by the announcement, although the corners of his mouth turned up for a moment.
On 16 May, YOSHIKI of X JAPAN held a press conference at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, US, to announce the release of a new single as X JAPAN. This will be the band's first single release since BORN TO BE FREE in November 2015.
X JAPAN has not been active publicly as a band since their live concert at Makuhari Messe in September 2018, and YOSHIKI's surprise announcement prompted some to ask if the band was restarting activities.
However, the release of this new song was fraught with problems. There was even a risk that it could lead to a break-up, let alone a relaunch.
However, this new song is not purely a "new song".
"Originally created around 2005 by YOSHIKI-san, the song was performed at X JAPAN's live concert at Yokohama Arena on 1 December 2015. It was a ballad with a calm tone, and vocalist Toshl, 57, played clear high notes to YOSHIKI's piano solo. Some fans shed tears at the live venue, and since that time, there have been many requests for the song to be released on an album" (music insider).
X JAPAN was formed by childhood friends YOSHIKI and Toshl, and when the band made its major label debut in 1989, it quickly became a major breakthrough. However, when Toshl left the band in 1997 at the height of its popularity due to a 'brainwashing scandal', YOSHIKI chose to break up the group, citing that there was no replacement vocalist. The group later reunited in 2007, ten years after Toshl's return, and continued their activities, but have not been active publicly since 2018. The reason lies within the band's contractual structure.
"X JAPAN has taken the unusual form of having each member individually sign a contract with a music publishing company controlled by YOSHIKI. In the course of their activities, there were frequent problems, such as non-payment of rights, and despite repeated discussions between YOSHIKI and the members, there was no improvement. The band has not been active since 2018 for contractual reasons" (aforementioned music insider).
This situation has not changed even now, the music insider also says. The band is unable to perform or record as a band. So what will happen to the release of new songs?
"The members responded to YOSHIKI's request and completed the song after sharing their opinions. There is a possibility that the recorded version from that time will be released, or that it will be rearranged and released". (music insider)
On the other hand, some people are predicting a "disappointing case" that will make fans unhappy.
At the press conference announcing the new release, YOSHIKI performed a short version of "Angel" on his piano. The vocalist for the song was not Toshl, but Beverly (28), a female singer from the Philippines.
No offers have been made to Toshl.
In 2018, YOSHIKI took charge of the theme song "Red Swan" for the popular anime "Shingeki no Kyojin season 3", but because the contract with Toshl was not renewed, he used L'Arc~en~Ciel's hyde (54) as vocalist. The band attempted to release the song under the name 'X JAPAN feat. HYDE', but after a flood of criticism from fans, the name was hastily changed to 'YOSHIKI feat. HYDE'.
"There is a possibility, again, that they are considering releasing the album with 'X JAPAN' as the title first and Beverly as a featured artist, and it is inevitable that there will be criticisms like in 2018, but looking at the current situation that YOSHIKI is in, it cannot be said that it won't happen." (entertainment industry insider).
Last November, YOSHIKI formed the four-piece band THE LAST ROCKSTARS with HYDE and others, with the goal of "going global from Japan".
However, sales of the first single, which was distributed simultaneously worldwide, were sluggish, and the tour of Japan and the USA, which took place from January to February this year, saw many empty seats at venues.
"YOSHIKI said in an interview that he was "trying to make a second song", but the future looks grim. In this situation, he is preparing for a world tour of classical performances starting in October. He may be wanting to draw attention to the name of X JAPAN, which has news value" (entertainment industry insider).
In recent years, a significant discrepancy has emerged between YOSHIKI and the other members in the way they relate to X JAPAN. While YOSHIKI frequently mentions X JAPAN in the media, the members keep their distance from the band and continue their solo activities. The sense of unity as a band seems to be fading year by year.
In fact, on the occasion of this release, YOSHIKI sent an email to the band members. The content of the email "reflects the band's sad situation", reveals another music insider.
YOSHIKI informed the members of the release of 'Angel' only a few days before the press conference. The communication was by e-mail, and it was not a request, but an inorganic report: "We're going to release 'Angel'". There was no explanation as to whether they were going to release a track recorded several years ago or whether they were going to make a new recording. The band members are said to be puzzled, but are taking a step back and watching his actions, thinking that it is "typical of YOSHIKI". They are looking forward to seeing how the song will be released.
Incidentally, it is believed that Toshl has not received any offers to be the vocalist at the moment.
The legendary band continues in disagreement. The members will soon reach their 60th birthdays.
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Fuck
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HMMMMMM....I gotta say I always take something an "anonymous insider" says with more than just a grain of salt....
We will see.
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The release date for "Requiem" was postponed (tba)
But so far the release date for Angel is still July 28th
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Uh oh
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“Although I’ve been criticized for being delayed. I’m staking my life on all of these projects. My fans please believe me”.
You make it a bit hard to believe you mate. It’s piss poor to announce a single release if your song isn’t finished and you can’t decide how to end it.
Assume this’ll be followed by the indefinite postponement of Angel.
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I hope not, I really hope not.
Personally I wouldn't announce a release date without being sure that the song is actually ready to be released.
But that's me.
It will be interesting to see what he will talk about at the Japan Expo in Paris.
In 2019 he talked about the YouTube doku and no one has seen that one yet.
And what happened with "Under the Sky"?
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It will be interesting to see what he will talk about at the Japan Expo in Paris.
In 2019 he talked about the YouTube doku and no one has seen that one yet.
And what happened with "Under the Sky"?
Yes, Yoshiki has quite the number of loose ends to keep track of. I know this sounds extremely dark, but I do sometimes wonder if we will see more material from Yoshiki after he passes?
I now really hope that Angel's release date isn't pushed back...I wouldn't be surprised. But, considering X Japan seems finished at this stage, and the new album isn't even on the horizon, I am really looking forward to at least hearing a new recording....
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Yes, Yoshiki has quite the number of loose ends to keep track of. I know this sounds extremely dark, but I do sometimes wonder if we will see more material from Yoshiki after he passes?
I now really hope that Angel's release date isn't pushed back...I wouldn't be surprised. But, considering X Japan seems finished at this stage, and the new album isn't even on the horizon, I am really looking forward to at least hearing a new recording....
I hope that day is far away.
Very often after an artist dies suddenly "new" material will be released, because hey "Cash cow"
(and of course old material will be re-released)
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It can always get worse
https://twitter.com/YoshikiOfficial/status/1674307176977022976
Yoshiki says he will sing Angel on TV.
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What
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What....? Let's sit down, get some wine and enjoy the show together. ;D
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https://youtu.be/8vPRKWoE4OY
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I think he did great!
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It's ironic that a few days ago Yoshiki was saying that he thinks that generative AI will be the death of music, and then he goes and uses it to create a version of his voice that can hold a tune so he can mime on TV...
That's how he's done this, by the way - just in case anyone has any doubt.
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I think he did a great job. At this point, I will be very happy if Hyde sings this song. Anyway Yoshiki's voice is not a good singer's voice IMO.
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It's ironic that a few days ago Yoshiki was saying that he thinks that generative AI will be the death of music, and then he goes and uses it to create a version of his voice that can hold a tune so he can mime on TV...
That's how he's done this, by the way - just in case anyone has any doubt.
any proof for that claim?
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No, he isn't a singer, but I liked his performance.
He adjusted the key to fit his range and some singing lessons with a good teacher can do wonders.
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It's ironic that a few days ago Yoshiki was saying that he thinks that generative AI will be the death of music, and then he goes and uses it to create a version of his voice that can hold a tune so he can mime on TV...
That's how he's done this, by the way - just in case anyone has any doubt.
any proof for that claim?
I've been involved in music production for nearly 20 years and I spend most of my day job at the moment working with generative AI. I trust my ears!
It is masked to an extent in the verse by the breathy overtones of Yoshiki's voice (which the AI will have been trained on extensively) but when it goes into the chorus it becomes very 'uncanny valley' - like a robot singing with the transients from Yoshiki's voice.
Listen to this example of someone training AI on Freddie Mercury's voice and you might hear some similarities - it captures the rasp and timbres of his voice very well, but in some of the longer and higher notes it's... not quite right.
https://youtu.be/XiZtIARF0iM
If you don't trust me at that, then fine - but ask yourself why Yoshiki has waited 40 years to magically show the world he can hold a perfect pitch?
Maybe it's because there is now technology than can reproduce his voice... or maybe it's just a big coincidence and Yoshiki has been shy this entire time.
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I've been involved in music production for nearly 20 years and I spend most of my day job at the moment working with generative AI. I trust my ears!
It is masked to an extent in the verse by the breathy overtones of Yoshiki's voice (which the AI will have been trained on extensively) but when it goes into the chorus it becomes very 'uncanny valley' - like a robot singing with the transients from Yoshiki's voice.
Listen to this example of someone training AI on Freddie Mercury's voice and you might hear some similarities - it captures the rasp and timbres of his voice very well, but in some of the longer and higher notes it's... not quite right.
https://youtu.be/XiZtIARF0iM
If you don't trust me at that, then fine - but ask yourself why Yoshiki has waited 40 years to magically show the world he can hold a perfect pitch?
Maybe it's because there is now technology than can reproduce his voice... or maybe it's just a big coincidence and Yoshiki has been shy this entire time.
thanks for your insight, if you are in the business then you obviously have some knowledge about this topic.
Now...I think we all have been surprised about his announcement.
Let's see if this was a one time occurence or if he intend to sing more often.
Any guessen what will be announced during the press conference on Tuesday in Paris?
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I think he did a great job. At this point, I will be very happy if Hyde sings this song. Anyway Yoshiki's voice is not a good singer's voice IMO.
I am fine with Hyde replacing Toshi if it means more songs will be released.
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I think he did a great job. At this point, I will be very happy if Hyde sings this song. Anyway Yoshiki's voice is not a good singer's voice IMO.
I am fine with Hyde replacing Toshi if it means more songs will be released.
At this point I guess I agree
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At today's press conference in Paris someone asked Yoshiki if he would work with Toshi again.
His answer "Yes, I hope so!"
Then he went on to say that he wants to perform with his band soon again but until October he is busied with the Classical Concerts
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It actually came out! No guitar solo, but Toshi’s vocals are intact
Not the most amazing song I’ve heard, but it has some nice melody’s and Toshi sounds good
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I have only seen a youtube video from an UNOFFICIAL source.
so my question is if this is really the official version?
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ok, the link was tweeted by Yoshiki Channel so I assume it is legit.
I like the song.
The piano version actually fits the song quite well
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I think its terribly boring, but at least its sort of a sign of life, I guess.
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I think its terribly boring, but at least its sort of a sign of life, I guess.
Yes, it sounds boring the first time I heard it. The melody is very beautiful, Toshi's voice is very nice and clear. I think I will like it more if I hear it more.
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I like it! It's nice to get some "new" X Japan song. Also love hearing Toshis voice.
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And once again complete radio silence from Toshi (and Pata)
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The very limited guitar, albeit, power chords which aren’t palm muted, makes me think Yoshiki’s worked on Angel by himself in the studio with an old ToshI audio track.
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The very limited guitar, albeit, power chords which aren’t palm muted, makes me think Yoshiki’s worked on Angel by himself in the studio with an old ToshI audio track.
Im pretty sure thats the case. All the strings and even the drums also sound sampled.
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It makes me wonder how much of the post reunion songs have actually included Pata, Heath and Sugizo, minus the hide sampling in I.V., and the solos in Jade and BTBF. It would explain the simplistic riffs in those songs.
Beneath the Skin and some snippets of Kiss the Sky are the only songs that sounded somewhat more complex, at least from a bass and guitar perspective.
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The very limited guitar, albeit, power chords which aren’t palm muted, makes me think Yoshiki’s worked on Angel by himself in the studio with an old ToshI audio track.
that could very well be the case
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Toshi sounds nice but it’s a very generic song. Some nice production, but man, it’s not worth the drama.
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Really goes to show that post- reunion music isn’t even worth it. I think we all want the album symbolically, but the music just isn’t that good. I do like Jade, though.
Apart from that, I wouldn’t think twice about any of the reunion songs if they weren’t labeled, “X Japan”. I don’t need an album at this point, I’ll just be happy if Yoshiki puts out Kiss the Sky. That is the one song that seems interesting to me.
The best part of the reunion was for sure the concerts. It was especially great for people who didn’t get to see them in the 80s and 90s. I’m super grateful I got to see them in Chicago.
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Really goes to show that post- reunion music isn’t even worth it. I think we all want the album symbolically, but the music just isn’t that good. I do like Jade, though.
Apart from that, I wouldn’t think twice about any of the reunion songs if they weren’t labeled, “X Japan”. I don’t need an album at this point, I’ll just be happy if Yoshiki puts out Kiss the Sky. That is the one song that seems interesting to me.
The best part of the reunion was for sure the concerts. It was especially great for people who didn’t get to see them in the 80s and 90s. I’m super grateful I got to see them in Chicago.
I agree. Most songs aren't that good, but I want the album anyway. ;D And my absolute highlight was seeing them live in Wembley. <3