7 posts tagged “12012”
I hope you can forgive me the big delay of August's issue. My computer had technical problems so I was way unable to release Baku at time. I hope you don't mind it too much.
Since I'm currently pretty busy I'll just post the pages so you can download.
I'll edit this post once I find time.
Please participate in VOX populi.
Date released: 20.8.2008.
Track list
1. 太陽 (Taiyou) [PV]
2. KALEIDOSCOPE
3. Hello,seventeen
Hey 12012 (or jedan-dva-nula-jedan-dva in Croatian and how I usually call them) how about a cool suggestion? CHANGE YOUR NAME! Because the so called band 12012 I'm listening now doesn't have much similarities to the 12012 I know and fell in love with (or maybe these are the lost evil twins from 12012 that have kidnapped the real band! Gasp! GIVE US 12012 BACK YOU FRAUDS!).
So I guess it's pretty obvious from my intro that 12012 have gone though a hardcore change from ominous, dark hard-rockers to mainstream L'Arc~en~ciel kinda sounding band (but with Miyawaki's voice undoubtly less fitting for the genre). So Taiyou (Sun, obviously happy shining song) is MERRY GO ROUND rehashed with slower tempo, softer and less explosive (In a way that Miyawaki's owerpowered voice doesn't cause you instant headaches). Laughably sad compared with what these guys used to do (and I don't mean by that the darker, more obscure stuff but also the upbeat songs like Cyclone or Shine, even Calf love, Heart and Shooting star were better than this).
Then you get KALEIDOSCOPE which is a bit harder tune in the manner of Diamond's fierce (in relative terms) SCREEN OUT and SECRET FESTIVAL. More acceptable than Taiyou but still not a power track like it's equivalents on DIAMOND. But without leaving a complete bitter aftertaste the B-version is packed with this upbeat, kinda cheeky, power rock'n'roll track Hello, seventeen. Catchy and with this very interesting main riff that's kinda pulling the song out. More than any recent song 12012 has released Hello, seventeen has got attitude which is why it packs sucha a punch and sounds good. That's the rock spirit!
So Taiyou isn't a complete spoiled single (if you're a hardcore indie 12012 fan like me, for others it's probably awesome) it's more of a showcase of this band's major sound and direction they're going. Unfortunately there is no coming back to the old, thicker, darker sound. I'm not glad and I don't love that new direction but if it's what they want it's fine with me. They've made enough songs in their indie era I'd always like to listen to and always will come back to.
However that doesn't make up for the certian weakness Taiyou has got as a single. Only Hello, seventeen manages to put a certain excitement and entertain, while the other two songs are simple something you'll likely to skip more often than listen. But fans of mainstream rock won't have a complain here.
Date released: 16.4.2008.
Track list
1. MERRY GO WORLD [PV] [Listen]
2. LOVERS [Listen]
3. I BELIEVE…. [B-edition] [Listen]
4. 未来図 (Mirai zu) [C-edition] [Listen]
I honestly thought that the title MERRY GO WORLD was some kind of 12012 ironical joke. Unfortunately, it's not. MERRY GO WORLD is probably the harshest song 12012 ever made, being so brutally merry that it's enough to cause every indie 12012 fan a heart-attack. Horrid and traumatizing with Miyawaki sounding as screamy and loud as if somebody is whipping him brutally on the back.
But to prevent an angry mob of fans and massive wave of heart-attacks 12012 has packed 3 really good songs. LOVERS is a passionate ballad with sparkling pizzicato riffs and a intense and strong chorus that doesn't sound worn out for the first time since butterfly. I BELIEVE.... breaks open with metallesque, electric riffs and goes to the dense and intense chorus similar to the one in the excellent song THE MOON, but more 12012 indie like. And if that doesn't seem enough we have Mirai zu that goes even further in the 12012 past and delivers distant, oriental flavored riffs and a upbeat chorus, that unites the melancholy of the indie phase with the confidence of the major 12012.
If you remove the 12012 suicide MERRY GO WORLD you actually get 3 very good songs reminiscing 12012 2-3 years ago and being a sure-shot to retrieve the old fans that abandoned the band after it went sounding more commercial, more public acceptive. All 3 songs don't exactly bring forth the former sound (lacking the genuine and strong atmosphere indie 12012 songs had) but come really close to it. If you stopped listening to 12012 when they released Cyclone I suggest you give the band another chance with MERRY GO WORLD (minus title song). Never say never. I wonder how 12012 will develop next?
Sorry for the late review, but VOX was screwing with me so I couldn't post it earlier.
Track list
1. Mr.LIAR
2. THE MOON
3. SCREEN OUT
4. LAST TIME
5. SHINE [PV]
6. EMPIRE OF THE LAGOON
7. 24HOURS
8. DISPUTE
9. サイクロン (Cyclone) [PV]
10. ONCE AGAIN
11. SECRET FESTIVAL
12. ダイヤモンド (Diamond) [PV]
13. DREAM ARCH
Diamond is 12012's first major release. The major sound can really be heard here. Compared to the older works the songs are less dirtier , less aggressive, less twisted and more appealing to a wider audience, presenting a big step and stylish difference to the older releases.
The album has a kick start with the cool rock'n'roll smasher Mr.LIAR which will definitely satisfy every classic hard rock fan. The song that follows, THE MOON is the best song on the whole album, an epic, wide, mysterious intense firework with hypnotic oriental like riffs and emotion charged refrain. THE MOON reminds on older 12012 works that made 12012 a special and unique band. SCREEN OUT is a fast rock drive, that reminds a lot on PISTOL on the passages, but is rather unoriginal being a bit like Breaking the modern society and without a special spark in the song.
LAST TIME, ONCE AGAIN and Diamond are 3 slow, glimmering ballads on the album that are basically made in the same way as the once very original ballad Butterfly. The irritating thing is that 12012 hasn't managed to make a great ORIGINAL ballad after Butterfly that directly doesn't resemble Butterfly.
Among other songs are the two famous previously released songs SHINE and Cyclone that actually fit in the album better than they did in the single version. Placed in between the both songs are an epic, emotional ballad EMPIRE OF THE LAGOON that presents one of the most mature 12012 songs, followed by the Cheeky Doll song bad imitation 24HOURS and an adrenalin charged drive through the hard-rock highway DISPUTE.
Another well done song is SECRET FESTIVAL that sounds unimpressive at the begging but blasts with one of the coolest refrains in 12012. The whole album ends with the distant, dreamy, almost LUNA SEA like acoustic piece DREAM ARCH.
If you followed 12012 through the beginnings and liked their older releases, you won't be pleased too much with DIAMOND. Only about 2 songs remind on the older works while new songs are completely cleaned up from the dark and mysterious touch that made the older ones shine. But if you are a fan from the start, I don't doubt that you'll be to the end. Generally if you are a fan of good J-rock and a balanced album of cheeky rock songs as well slow, transparent ballads, you should check DIAMOND out. There is no doubt that this album will have a lot of fans.
But overall.... We kinda miss the rough, dirty sound of 12012....
Track list
1. SHINE [PV]
2. innocent sight
3. breaking the modern society (Regular edition)
3. How about truth….? (Type B)
Worth mentioning is the fact that 12012 will go major by releasing a new album this December. So SHINE was just one step of them going major.
If you heard their previous single Cyclone, then you can expect actually the same concept in SHINE.
SHINE is a fast, energetic rock song in the style of Cyclone, but in a way resembling a song GazettE would pull off. That was at least my first impression, but then I realized that the song is actually in 12012 manner. Although it seems catchy, it isn't. I have listened to it a lot and I still haven't remembered it.
innocent sight is the sequel to the song butterfly from the Cyclone single, but more upbeat and with a refrain that reminds on the song WHITE PRAYER by alice nine.. breaking the modern society is a completely Engrish song fast, furious, cheeky and a bit irritating, but with a very good and catchy refrain.
And just as I think to long for 12012's former sound, there comes How about truth….?. If you loved the slow, melancholic songs from Play DOLLs, Shower and Depression Sign, you'll definitely love this song. Slow, melancholic and with a lot of emotion, this song is one of the better songs 12012 had recently. Hope is not lost.
If you liked Cyclone, you'll like SHINE. Also fans of the indie 12012 will be pleased at least with the beautiful song How about truth….?.
As you all know the school will start soon and everybody needs to get prepared for school, right? Besides books, notebooks, pencils, pens etc... one of the essential school accessories is a pen case (or whatever it is called on English).
I present you.... My Visual kei pen case!!!
So the sewing went pretty well even if my sewing technique was awful. My mom laughed when she saw the way I saw the logos but was also fascinated by how good I made the logos (Even though she doesn't like Visual kei).
I did had some troubles with sewing but it went well. The strange thing was the fact that the simpler the logo the harder it was to sew it! Really!!!
This is the back of my pen case! I had the most work with it but I like it! Maybe more than the front side because the logos came out really well.
The back of the pen case had logos of bands Girugämesh, D'espairsRay, alice nine. and Kagrra,. These logos really looked cool and even when they were sketches they seemed really awesome! Now once they are sewn in they rock!
I can't decide which logo is the coolest on the behind because they all look pretty good, but I think the D'espairsRay logo came out the most authentic.
But all in all it came out really, reallly, goooooooood!! And it wasn't so hard to do it. If I , who have got extreme trembling hands and suck at any hand job imaginable, have done it then everybody can do it! All you need is a needle, some thread, free time and good ideas.
I bet you all could do it better than me!
Date released: 13.6.2007.
Tracklist
1. サイクロン (Cyclone) [PV]
2. butterfly
3. survival [Regular edition]
3. ambience [B edition]
12012 is back! Cyclone is their first release this year. The title track サイクロン (Cyclone) is also the ending song of the anime Romeo X Juliet. First Nightmare, now 12012 and I heard that even MUCC is planing to have a collaboration on some anime.
Cyclone is a fast, hard and quite energetic title and to be honest it is the best track on the entire single. The song has got a good beat and especially the bridges are very interesting. Wataru spices things up with his recognisable singing. The song mostly reminds on some older and upbeat songs by 12012.
The song butterfly is a bit slower ballad like song. Even though it is emotional, the song still preserves it's hard rock core. It is a interesting track to listen to and it is quite catchy but not as much as Cyclone.
The other two songs on the single (depending on which version of the single you have) survival and ambience are quite uncatchy songs and pretty much similar. Survival is an energetic rock'n'roll song but the irritating guitar sounds really get on the nerves. Ambience sounds like a song from some horror soundtrack, omnious and actually very interesting but the song faints not long after listening.
The single Cyclone is not generally bad (especially the songs Cyclone and butterfly are very interesting and quite good) but 12012 had better releases. If you are a 12012 fan you won't be dissappointed.
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