Last Moon

Last Moon
Studio album by Gackt
Released April 27, 2016
Recorded 2007-2016
Genre Rock
Length 58:57
Label G&Lovers
Producer Gackt
Gackt chronology
Mysteries of Yoshitsune I&II
(2014)		 Last Moon
(2016)
Singles from Last Moon
  1. "Returner (Yami no Shūen)"
    Released: June 20, 2007
  2. "Setsugekka (The End of Silence)/Zan"
    Released: December 9, 2009
  3. "P.S. I Love U"
    Released: February 12, 2014
  4. "Akatsukizukuyo (Day Breakers)"
    Released: October 1, 2014
  5. "Arrow"
    Released: October 7, 2015
  6. "Kimi Dake no Boku de Iru Kara"
    Released: November 23, 2016

Last Moon is the eighth full-length studio album by Japanese recording artist Gackt released on April 27, 2016 in Japan.[1] It is considered to be the final, but not ending part of "Moon Saga",[2] a concept by which is conceptually linked to its predecessor albums Moon (2002), Crescent (2003), and Diabolos (2005), as well as the movie Moon Child (2003), theatre play Mysteries of Yoshitsune I&II (2012-2014),[3] and two novels (2003, 2014).[4][5]

Overview

The concept album and its promotional tour, Last Visualive, are Gackt's first in almost seven years.[1] It is called "last" because it is considered as a turning point in his career, whether it will be his last original release and tour, featuring his signature stage shows, for a while or not.[6][7] It is called "Visualive" because links together video, performance and music.[8] On October 7, 2015 the single "Arrow" was released.[9] The tour and album release were supported by Nestlé.[10] Through this collaboration, on Nestle's special website every month until the official release, new songs to be included for the album were available for streaming and download.[10]

The concept was conceived in 2004 during the The Sixth Day & Seventh Night tour (song "Utakata no Yume"). It was followed by the Diabolos tour in 2005, and in between the Requiem et Reminiscence II tour in 2009, Gackt thought to do the Last Moon tour. However, due to the vast developing time of Mysteries of Yoshitsune I&II plays he would not be able do the RR II concept, and instead managed to establish the Visualive form with the RR II concept.[2]

Moon Saga

Conceptually, the story of the "Moon Saga" is separated in four chapters. The first chapter takes places roughly from the year 700 to 1300, second from 1300 to 1600, third from 1600 to current time, and fourth from current time to the future.[11] The work in 2002 and 2003 covered the fourth chapter, 2005 took place between the second and third chapter,[11] while 2012-2014 and Last Moon depict the first chapter.[7] The whole story is set in both Europe and Asia, depending on the story and meaning wanted to be expressed.[11]

The idea was to create a story where the Oni (Japanese demons) were the origin of vampires, and eventually of the central character in the first chapter, Yoshitsune Minamoto.[12] In the Heian period existed those called as Mononoke (spirits), and Mononofu, who were born between humans and Mononoke, and with special powers dominated both Mononoke and humans. The story from Mysteries of Yoshitsune spreads out when the member with inherited blood crossed over to Europe, and became the progenitor of the later vampires.[13]

The story from the first chapter follows the "darkside inhabitants" – darts – who were scattered all over Europe, fighting for different countries even against fellow "people" (inhabitants).[14] The second chapter shows how they tried to make something that would surpass them and for purpose of fighting, so were created 13 "shitos" (使徒, apostle, disciple), but their bodies were incomplete and couldn't appear under the sun.[14] From the third chapter, now known as "vampires", their life is depicted.[14] They didn't pursue their purported purpose of existence, and as they became aware of the darkness inside them, raises the question of what is their current purpose of existence.[14]

However, it is not a vampire's story as they were presented as a way of expressing a certain side of humanity.[11][13] People long for immortality, believing it to be a wonderful thing, while vampires know how painful such an immortal existence can be and seek a peaceful death,[11] because without death the life has no meaning.[13] The theme of the concept, like his other in Requiem et Reminiscence albums, is about the existential questions of humanity. The "Moon Saga" is a symbolic story of war, the ever-reoccurring human sins, and the question of what is the ultimate meaning of human life.[11][15] The history of mankind's struggle – the suffering and sorrow in the quest for the virtues and ideas.[7]

Last Moon

The tour is titled as Saigo no Tsuki ("Last Moon" in English language), but the saigo is not written in kanji 最後 (last, end) yet 最期 which has a nuance of "the final moments" or "dying days", as it is not the end of the "Moon" concept. The theme of the album and tour is people thoughts during the last moments of death while looking at the Moon. The symoblism of the Moon in the story is for the reason it's witnessing the tragedies that humanity repeats, and thus through the Moon people can symbolically look back on the life path they walked on.[2]

The story of the Last Moon in the basis has the story of Mysteries of Yoshitsune, but it is actually the perspective about the former by the non-human entities from the Moon who come to collect the souls, whose figures dressed in black can be seen in the music video and cover of singles "Returner (Yami no Shūen)" and "Arrow", as well album.[13] The non-human narrator during the show questions why the humans with such strong feelings of friendship and love, repeat the same mistakes, can't stop hurting each other, and spend short lives fighting.[13][16]

Composition

Almost every song was created from the story sketched above and features a special image or place in the live performance.[7] Having studied traditional Japanese poetry, Gackt incorporated a mix of traditional and modern speech in the lyrics, and experimented with the songs' beat, noting that traditional Japanese poetry is more suitable for an irregular beat.[2][6][17] He also listened to the esoteric Buddhist sutras.[2]

The songs are distinctive for their blend of modern Western musical instruments and traditional Japanese instruments, like Shakuhachi, Shamisen, Shinobue, Erhu, Shō, Koto and Taiko,[16] a kind of music called by Gackt as "Zipangu rock" from which can be sensed the country of origination.[18]

The song "Arrow" was meant for the very end of the story, but was performed at the start of the live.[7] It is an intense ballad rock song, lyrics of which deal with the sacrifice for an ideal future.[7] Some songs like "Hana mo Chiyu" are written as waka, which have a 5-7-5 pattern, and are suitable for irregular quintuple or septuple beats.[2]

Although not in the track list, the songs "Hakuro" and "Sakura Chiru..." are part of the four song series from the first chapter of "Moon Saga", along with "Setsugekka (The End of Silence)" and "Akatsukizukuyo (Day Breakers)".[19]

According to Gackt, it's a heavy album with deep world view, and it's definitely not suitable to be simply played in the background.[2]

Release

The album was released on April 27, 2016 in two physical editions, regular (CD; GLCD-00016) and limited (CD+DVD; GLCD-00015), as well as on Spotify.[1][20] Until November 6, 2015 a special limited edition (GLCD-00014) was available on Gackt's official website's global store.[3]

During the tour was sold limited edition album titled "Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki –Last Moon–" (GLCD-00017) with two CDs (CD 1 48:28 - CD 2 59:07 minutes), with the whole live setlist in original order.[21]

Charts

In its first week the studio album reached number six on the Oricon's weekly album chart, with 16,447 copies sold,[22] and topped the Oricon independent album chart.[23] On its first week the album charted at thirteen on the Billboard Japan's Hot Albums chart,[24] while rising to number ten at the Top Albums Sales chart.[25]

The single "Arrow" reached number fifteen, and charted for four weeks on the Oricon's weekly single chart.[26] As the album was released by an independent label it was also featured on the Oricon indies singles chart, peaking at number two.[27] On the Billboard Japan Hot 100 it peaked at number sixty,[28] and peaked at number fourteen on the Top Single Sales chart.[29]

The single "Kimi Dake no Boku de Iru Kara" reached number thirty on the Oricon's weekly single chart, selling 4,107 copies.[30] On the Billboard Japan peaked at number forty-four on the Top Single Sales chart.[31]

Last Visualive tour

On August 8 Gackt's first national (and world) tour in seven years, called Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki –Last Moon–, was announced.[32] Although the original intention was to be held in 2015, it was postponed to 2016. It started with a fanclub only concert on March 19 at Misato City Cultural Hall in Saitama,[33] with the first public show being held on March 21 at the Colany Hall in Yamanashi.[32] In January 2016, because most of the 25 concerts sold out, an additional 16 were announced, making the total 41 concerts.[34] The tour ended on July 3 with two consecutive shows at the Saitama Super Arena, consisting of a total of 42 concerts in thirty cities and over 120,000 visitors.[35]

The final show will be broadcast on WOWOW in October 2016. In the ending credits of the final show were announced world tour and return tour in Japan in 2017.[36]

Show

The concert shows are generally three to four hours long (with circa one hour long MC[37]), and are focused around the album's track list. The concert's stage set looked like a post-apocalyptic movie set, they include videos which are related to the Mysteries of Yoshitsune I&II, as well as various projection mapping scenery on the back screen.[37][38]

The lives are conceptually divided into four parts.[35][37] The first part begins with the video showing Yoshitsune at the battlefield, narration questions like "why do people repeat the same mistakes?",[16] and with many fateful arrows approaching Yoshitsune, which shooting has commanded brother Yoritomo,[16] the video ends and starts the performance of the first song "Arrow". The music video of "Returner (Yami no Shūen)" shows Yoshitsune being pierced by the arrows.[39] During the performance of "Akatsukizukuyo (Day Breakers)" was montage of battle sciences, and Yoshitsune's improbable wish to remain close to the friends until the next meeting.[16]

The second part begins with the video showing part of the story which occurred 9 years earlier in 1180 between brothers Yoshitsune and Yoritomo, and the Heian Era scene is shown by the instrumental performance of "Utakata no Yume" where Gackt played the Japanese traditional instrument shamisen.[16][37] The song "Kugutsu ga Gotoku" is performed with particularly intense animation and boogaloo dance choreography,[38] followed by pantomime dance during "Youranka (Lulling)".[16]

The third part begins with the film from "Camui Gakuen", cover concerts festival conceptualized around fictional school.[35] The sudden difference in the world view of the songs and stage is to release the audience from the built up tension and make them engage in playful entertainment. It includes a hour long MC, and both "Kimi Dake no Boku de Iru Kara" and "P.S. I Love U" started in a cappella.[16][39]

The final fourth part begins with the video of Yoshitsune waking up from the dream about his friends with whom he fought together, realizing he is pierced with arrows, which is followed by the ending performance of "Setsugekka (The End of Silence)", and video showing the ascending soul of Yoshitsune.[16][39]

Set list

Track listing

All tracks written by Gackt. C. 

CD
No. Title Length
1. "Arrow"   5:44
2. "Hana mo Chiyu" (花も散ゆ; "Even Flowers Fall") 3:25
3. "Returner (Yami no Shūen)" (Returner ～闇の終焉～; "Returner (Demise of Darkness)") 4:21
4. "Ride Or Die"   3:29
5. "Akatsukizukuyo (Day Breakers)" (暁月夜 -Day Breakers-; "Moonlit Dawn (Day Breakers)") 5:55
6. "Zan" (斬 ～Zan～; "Slash") 4:37
7. "Kugutsu ga Gotoku" (傀儡が如く; "Like a Puppet") 4:01
8. "One More Kiss"   4:03
9. "WooHa Baby!!" (舞哈Baby!! -WooHa-; "Wǔ hā Baby!! (WooHa)") 3:50
10. "Koi no Friday!!!" (恋のFriday!!!; "Friday of Love!!!") 4:27
11. "Kimi Dake no Boku de Iru Kara" (キミだけのボクでいるから; "Because There Is Just My You") 5:00
12. "P.S. I Love U"   6:01
13. "Setsugekka (The End of Silence)" (雪月花 -The end of silence-; "Snow, Moon and Flowers (The End of Silence)") 6.42
DVD
No. Title Length
1. "Arrow"    
2. "Returner (Yami no Shūen)"    
3. "Akatsukizukuyo (Day Breakers)"    
4. "P.S. I Love U"    
5. "Setsugekka (The End of Silence)"    
6. "Kugutsu ga Gotoku" (hidden music video available with a serial code)  

Notes

Album credits

Personnel (Last Moon CD)
Production
  • All Producer: Gackt
  • Sound Creative Manager: Takumi
  • Arrangement, Programming: Takumi, You, Chachamaru, Masafumi Okubo, Daichi Yokota, Syusei Tsukamoto, Tatsuya Kurauchi
  • Recording Engineer: Masahiro Shimbo (Mixer's Lab), Katsuyuki Abe (Mixer’s Lab), Kentaro Kikuchi
  • Mixing Engineer/Programming: Masahiro Shimbo, Masahito Tobisawa (Flash Link Studio)
  • Mastering Engineer: Yasuji Maeda (Bernie Grundam Mastering)
Design
  • Art direction & Design: Jun Misaki
  • Photographer: Keiju Takenaka (D-Cord)
Personnel (Set List CDs)
  • Sound Creative Manager: Takumi
  • Arrangement: Yuzuru Jinma, Masafumi Okubo
  • Erhu: Shin
  • Japanese Shinobue bamboo flute: Yasukazu Kano
  • Japanese Taiko drum: Ryuji Sato, Shota Sato
  • Shakuhachi: Hideki Ishigaki
  • Tsugaru Shamisen: Taichi Hikida
  • Violin: Mio Abe
  • Mixing Engineer: Yu Aoki, Masahiro Shimbo

References

  1. 1 2 3 Nadine Silva (2016-02-03). "GACKT "Last Moon" – Details Unveiled". handthatfeedshg.com. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mami Akagi (May 2016). "Gackt - Last Moon". Backstage Pass (in Japanese). Shinko Music Entertainment. pp. 60–65.
  3. 1 2 Hikaru, Ruchesko (2015-10-08). "New Album from GACKT". JaMe World. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  4. ↑ "｢Moon Child【鎮魂歌】レクイエム篇｣ みんなのレビューページ". booklog.jp (in Japanese). paperboy&co. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
  5. ↑ "GACKTが執筆した小説『Moon Saga-義経秘伝-』が発売". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "GACKT 自分が男として、大人として、いかに成長できているか？が重要／インタビュー". excite.co.jp (in Japanese). 2015-10-04. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Moko Shimizu (2015-09-20). ""LAST VISUALIVE"へ向けてGACKTの壮絶なドラマが始まる" [Approaching the Last Visualive, GACKT's Sublime Drama Begins]. OKMusic (in Japanese). Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  8. ↑ "GACKT 7年ぶりのコンセプトライブ『LAST VISUALIVE TOUR』が開幕". excite.co.jp (in Japanese). 2016-03-19. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  9. ↑ "GACKT、7年ぶりコンセプトツアーの追加16公演を発表". barks.jp (in Japanese). Japan Music Network. 2016-01-07. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  10. 1 2 "GACKT Offers New Song Hana mu Chiyu For Free". JpopAsia. 2015-12-16. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Midori Ono (October 2005). "Diabolos - 美しき悪魔からの誘い". Arena 37C (in Japanese). Japan (277).
  12. ↑ "GACKT「涙流して感動出来る」　新歌舞伎座『－義経秘伝－』スタート". Sanspo (in Japanese). Sankei Digital. 2014-09-20. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Mami Akagi, Tour Pamphlet (GC025) - Special interview (in Japanese), pp. 18–26
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Vol. 119". UV (in Japanese). Japan. October 2005.
  15. ↑ Kouichi Tanaka; Mami Akagi (November 2005). "[]". B=Pass (in Japanese). Japan: 41–43.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "GACKT 歌い、踊り、奏で、演じ、多様な姿を見せた"LAST VISUALIVE"最終日／レポート" [GACKT Shows His Various Sides, Singing, Dancing, Performing, Playing] (in Japanese). Excite Japan. 2016-07-11. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  17. ↑ "GACKT アルバム『LAST MOON』を最期の"VISUALIVE"ツアーで表演／インタビュー1" (in Japanese). Excite Japan. 2016-04-26. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  18. ↑ Takashi Ishizuka (2009-12-01). "GACKT interview "メイド・イン・ジャパン"と呼べるモノを作りたい――GACKT、「雪月花―The end of silence―／斬～ZAN～」をリリース". CD Journal (in Japanese). Ongaku Shuppansha. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  19. ↑ "GACKTが"呂布"に扮した新曲PVを一部解禁". barks.jp (in Japanese). Global Plus. 2014-09-24. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  20. ↑ "GACKT、"黒い羽"が印象的なニューアルバムのビジュアルを公開" (in Japanese). OKMusic. 2016-03-18. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Last Visualive Set List CD" (in Japanese). G-Pro. 2016-03-19. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Oricon weekly album chart 2016-04-25 to 2016-05-01" (in Japanese). Oricon. May 4, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  23. ↑ Jasy (2016-05-11). "Oricon 2016 Week 19". JaME World. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums May Chart" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Billboard Japan Top Albums Sales Chart" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  26. ↑ "Gackt singles on Oricon" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  27. ↑ Jasy (2015-10-21). "Oricon 2015 Week 43". JaME World. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Billboard Japan Hot 100 October Chart" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Billboard Japan Top Singles Sales October Chart" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Oricon 2016-12-05 Single chart" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Billboard Japan Top Singles Sales December Chart" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
  32. 1 2 "GACKT、『Last Visualive』のツアー日程発表" (in Japanese). OKMusic. 2015-08-08. Retrieved August 21, 2015.
  33. ↑ "GACKT、激しいダンスでも魅せるコンセプトツアー開幕". natalie.mu (in Japanese). Natasha. 2016-03-20. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  34. ↑ "GACKT、7年ぶりコンセプトツアーの追加16公演を発表". barks.jp (in Japanese). Japan Music Network. 2016-01-07. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  35. 1 2 3 "GACKT World Tour 2016 Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki -LAST MOON- supported by Nestlé". coolJAPAN. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  36. 1 2 "GACKT 延べ12万人動員のツアー『LAST VISUALIVE』完結、次はワールドツアーへ！" [GACKT's Tour Is Completed. Next, The World Tour!] (in Japanese). Excite Japan. 2016-07-03. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  37. 1 2 3 4 "GACKT Last Visualive -Last Moon- supported by Nestle". Shattered-Tranquility.net. 2016-07-13. Retrieved August 10, 2016.
  38. 1 2 "GACKT 7年ぶりのコンセプトライブ『LAST VISUALIVE TOUR』が開幕" (in Japanese). Excite Japan. 2016-03-19. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  39. 1 2 3 "どこまでが現実で、どこまでが夢なのか…映像と音楽が融合したGACKT圧巻のパフォーマンス" [Where Does Reality Start, Where Does The Dream End...]. CD Data (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. 2016-07-12. Retrieved August 10, 2016.

External links

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