Field Notes 02

Music Styles

Listened to songs and watched their accompanying music videos from some of the most notable bands of the different styles.

MALICE MIZER
Song: "Bel Air"
Video/Song Length: 7min 25sec

Video Observation:
- Lot of European scenery, castles
- Christian religious symbols (church, cathedral, crosses)
- Long cinematic opening
- Band is performing in what appears to be an empty church
- Classical European-inspired clothing
- GACKT, the vocalist, resembles a prince

Song Observation:
- Sounds a bit like a circus
- Sounds that resemble a music box play throughout the song and creates a sound of tranquility among the slightly chaotic instrumental
- Was a bit noisy, GACKT's voice seemed to be competing with the instrumental rather than working with it


DIR EN GREY
Song: 鱗 (Uroko)
Video/Song Length: 4min 5 sec

Video Observation:
- Frightful imagery
- People with missing limbs/prosthetic limbs
- Blood, saliva
- Band members performing in crystal/transparent boxes
- Bathtubs, dinner tables
- Very dark, grim, and scary

Song Observation:
- Heavy metal screaming, yelling, and growling
- Opera vocals occur throughout the song
- Very dark and grim, fit the video very well
- Did not like, personally


AN CAFE
Song: "Kakusei Heroism"
Video/Song Length: 4min 26sec

Video Observation:
- Bright lights
- Grunge style clothing
- Fun style video, camera angles, etc.
- Video didn't present any special imagery
- Focus more on the members

Song Observation:
- Very upbeat music and vocals, especially in comparison to the previous video/song
- Pop sound
- Light rock influences
- Sounds like it could be the opening theme of an anime
- Song doesn't really build or evolve much
- A tad boring


Versailles
Song: "Aristocrat's Symphony"
Song/Video Length: 8min 20sec

Video Observation:
- Classical European imagery
- A lot of lit candles
- Takes place in and around a castle
- Dark night, full moon, lightning in the sky
- Long cinematic introduction

Song Observation:
- Opera-influenced opening
- Classical sounds lead into a rock sound
- Mixed classical, opera, and rock elements
- Noisy
- Vocals seemed very overpowered by the instrumental
- Almost headache-inducing


the GazettE
Song: 紅蓮 "Guren"
Song/Video Length: 5min 53sec

Video Observation:
- White paint flowing from a sink that eventually overflows and gets onto the floor
- A young girl in a white dress puts her hands into the white paint and begins to smear it on the red walls
- The members are performing in the same room but it has now been completely covered in white
- Girl's dress becomes covered in the white paint as well
- White is commonly associated with death in most Asian cultures, including Japanese

Song Observation:
- Rock ballad
- Steady instrumental progression
- Music sounds a bit dark