It's that time of the week again. The time for the Alternative Idol videos of the week. This week we have new music from regulars of this segment as well as new faces and new faces that the regulars remind me of. Confused? Read on and everything will become clear.
Shiina Pikarin: Shiawase Toka Ni Tsuite (About Happiness)
Pikarin is a 21000 year old demon. Really. Of course there are people who will say that, a few years ago, she was a well known teen model who switched to a singing career when she became an adult. Her decision to follow the path of Extreme Idols is a bit strange but it also gives her the freedom to play with her image. That way she is also able to growl her throat out, which contradicts her normal, high pitched voice.
Regarding her lives, it is an intense experience. A lot of headbanging and moshing, Pikarin walking on the audience (notice, ON the audience, not between the audience) and the front rows being almost only girls; something unusual for Idol shows.
This song, released today, is a play between traditional idol music (and image) and the usual extreme style of Pikarin. In the beginning I was shocked at the thought that she turned completely tradoll but then the game was revealed and order was restored.
HAMIDASYSTEM - Inbijiburu Muubii (Invisible Movie)
The 30th of May has passed and true to their promise, HAMIDASYSTEM have released the second part of the story they unfold every month. Between work and my photography, I didn't have time to read the story, so I don't have anything to note about this aspect of the project. I plan to make an article about it when the story concludes at the end of September.
Music-wise, the song is a huge departure from their usual style. The electronic music has made way for a rock sound that is new to the group. The overall feel of the music, in this one, reminds me of the style of ・・・・・・・・・. More of that later.
What is my opinion on this new approach? I think that the vocals are not mixed well over the music. In the usual style of music of HAMIDASYSTEM, the vocals create a dreamscape that ties to the atmosphere of the music. In this song, the vocals sound seperate to the music. So, although the song is pretty good, it seems to lack that something to make it perfect.
In the previous article where I mentioned HAMIDASYSTEM's story project, I wrote that they would host an event in a planetarium. The previous week, they released footage from this event. Enjoy!
・・・・・・・・・ ー Kimi Ni Ochiru Yoru (It depends on you)
Who are ・・・・・・・・・? That's a mystery
What are ・・・・・・・・・? That's also a mystery
What is the ultimate purpose of ・・・・・・・・・? More of a mystery
OK, at least how is ・・・・・・・・・ pronounced? Guess what, a mystery!
Really, ・・・・・・・・・ are an enigma shrouded in mystery. The only thing that is certain, is that they exist. And that they play music. And that they give live performances. That are a bit strange.
One can give many examples to showcase the concept of Idol is Art. In this concept, ・・・・・・・・・ are the queens. The mystery that surrounds the group's existence is only a part of their concept. Everything about them has an artistic purpose. I won't write many things about them at the present moment because this group requires an article by itself. The only thing that I will answer is that the name of the group is Dots.
The song I include is an example of the group exploring ways of artistic expression, out of the ordinary. On face value, the video may appear pretty simple and easy. The devil is in the details though. The aspect ratio of the video is 4:3. The old TV standard. That is a strange choice by itself because this is the era of cinematic video, i.e., 16:9. The video though is not just something pseudo-retro. Basically, the photography is the work of a master. The whole video is a seminar for portrait photography in disguise. Certainly something not done by chance.
So, stop looking for answers and delve in the mystery that are ・・・・・・・・・