January '10 VK Reviews

Phew. Made it right on time by nicking a few hours on 1st February! Yikes O_O TWELVE REVIEWS?! *shakes head*

Title: IN PHYSICAL *AWEFUCKINGSOME* Band: Ken (of L'Arc~en~Ciel) Verdict: 5 stars. I vote he should leave Laruku and continue as a solo artist then produce more bands. What an absolute kickass album. Unhampered by his band's emo-punk style, these self-produced songs are stylish and classy. One of the best releases from 2009 (and last decade). Go for: 'ETERNAL REST', 'IN PHYSICAL', 'SAVE ME' and practically everything in this album! xD

Title: Metamorphosis *AWEFUCKINGSOME* Band: DEAD END Verdict: 4.5 stars. Morrie is by far the most sturdy vocalist with hardly any break in prowess after what... almost 30 years? Here's some info on them just to prove my point. If you think veteran bands should stay away from making a comeback and further embarrass themselves like X Japan, spend some time to listen to this and be pleasantly amazed. It's bound to make you swear off all those teeth-gnashing new metal-slash-hiphop stuff that younger bands have been spewing -- if only for awhile. Because they totally bring back metal in Japanese rock. And it's been a few months for me to actually hear something worth repeating beside Ken's album thus I'm also awarding this with a Best of 2009 trophy. Go for: 'Guillotine', 'Shinen', 'Dress Burning', 'Kill Me Baby', 'Devil Sleep', 'Meigou'.

Title: 羅針盤 (Rashinban) Band: Shinkou Shuukyou Gakudan NoGoD Verdict: 3.5 stars. Spunky and fresh. Yeah, a tad weird to describe it this way but their expert songwriting is really unique as opposed to other rising indie bands. After a year plus, I've familiarised with Danchou's high pitch as something he's good at *unplugs earbuds*. Handling ballads and metal riffs like nobody's business, these talented boys are progressing really fast and looks like they'll be debuting under a major label this year probably after March. So I'm looking forward to that. Go for: 'Ring-a Ring-o', 'Mr.HEAVEN', 'Hakoniwa'.

	Title: Gain Band: Sadie Verdict: 1.5 stars. Nothing spectacular from this new mini. I can't even think up something nice to say. Ick... Just listen to 'Regret' and skip the others. Go for: 'Regret'.

Title: Canticum Band: forbidden days of rhapsody Verdict: 3 stars. Mika has returned to the foray as the frontman, bassist and programmer of this electronica-metal project. And omaigawd he got fellow ex-Rentrer bandmate Shun to join him *dies happy*. Cough. Beautiful songs, by the way. Another plus point would be featuring vocalist, Rui, who suddenly came into everyone's radar with his powerful voice. The mixing is beyond exquisite and should be listened to using superior headphones because 2 weeks ago I put this on speaker and thought it sucked. Oops. Go for: 'REFILL' (inst), 'HANDCUFF', 'IN DELIRIUM' (inst).

	Title: 神羅万象 -摂理- (Shinrabansho -Setsuri-) Band: XodiacK Verdict: 1.5 stars. Guh. What happened to them? And what kind of production is this? Choppy songwriting and horrible quality -- It's as if they recorded in a garage all in one day. Go for: 'Kimi ni Furu Zetsubou no Ame'.

Title: JUBILEE -Method of Inheritance- *HOT* Band: Versailles Verdict: 4 stars. In memory of Jasmine You, I couldn't help sighing and remembering their first album which practically bled your ears with high speed guitar riffs. I'm not entirely fond of the gay Waltz-like strings in 'Reminisce' and tame 'Amorphous'. Granted this is their first major album so it's possible they turned down their intensity a notch somewhat? Nevertheless, this is a good album that benefits a HOT tag because they have their production down to pat. Excellent work! And pay attention to 'Serenade' for the underlying meaning. [Random note: Silly me, I only found out last month that Teru was from Aikaryuu. SLOW, Arfah!] Go for: 'PRINCESS -Revival of Church-', 'Serenade', 'gekkakou', 'Catharsis'.

Title: us. *HOT* Band: the Underneath Verdict: 4 stars. Another 2009 album I overlooked. A little bit of everything can be found here: some old-Laruku, some AliceNine, some Inoran, some Pierrot. And I LOVE it. To death. So now when I'm completely digging it, they announce that they're disbanding! What a shame. Technically, this is their last album but not their final goodbye since they'll release a maxi single in March. One more good band bites the dust. Go for: 'Chou no Koe -The scream of the butterfly-', 'Insomnia', 'Aria', 'Ghost in the Mirror'.

Title: ABINGDON ROAD *AWEFUCKINGSOME* Band: abingdon boys school Verdict: 5 stars. They deliver us the goods on a gold platter (again). Yet they still cheat us by releasing too many good singles. I counted only 5 new songs. Hey but nothing and nobody can deny the greatness of this album. No huge cult hit as of yet although I'm pitting my money on the severely angsty 'Siren' against the snazzy 'PINEAPPLE ARMY'. Check out the Valkyrie remix, man. Go for: 'PINEAPPLE ARMY', 'Siren', 'Kimi no Uta', 'From Dusk Til Dawn', 'STRENGTH.' and yeaaah anything and everything.

Title: LASTICA Band: Karasu Verdict: 2.5 stars. I kinda have an image of them riding Harleys while cruising down Vegas in all-black leather outfits. Well, they've got the clothes right. Yet the song lacks the punch in the gut feel I normally get from Tats. And the repeating melody is tiresome after 4-5 runs. Not betting anything on karasu for now although they are pretty compatible with each other. Go for: Obviously 'Lastica' because they only have 1 song.

	Title: Monad Band: Vidoll Verdict: 2 stars. Hm. Not really for me. *yawn* Decent, but definitely isn't what I thought I could expect. Vidoll is quite an old band so why are they making platonic half-fluff like DuelJewel? I think I'll just stick to fluff from SID or Ayabie. Go for: 'Darwinism', 'hot cage remix'.

Title: 彩-irodori- Band: Ayabie Verdict: 3 stars. Ooh. This new change gets an approving nod from me. They've shrugged off their bubblegum poprock musical style to a mature blend of their signature oshare-kei with something I can't quite put a finger on. 'GAME' is highly addictive! Go for: 'GAME', 'Aitakute', 'Canary'.

Goodbye to a Decade. Gokurasama, 2009!

Here's a not-so brief recap of my life from 2000 to 2009. No big accomplishments. But I take life as it is (with a grain of salt) and although resolutions aren't my thing, this is definitely the right time for a milestone post :)

My head's merely going with what I can dig up from my weak memory.

1. [2000] Final year of school life. Aah~ the bittersweet times of being a teenager.


2. Death of my love for L'Arc~en~Ciel. It was a joy knowing them but I have moved on. Thank you for introducing me to Jrock, Hyde-san ;)


3. Malay-dominated Matriculation course in Pulau Pinang killed my English. Seriously. So few English-speakers to befriend. Malay songs rotted my brain :[


4. Death of a loved one [2002]: My mother. Al-Fatihah.


5. Shortly after that, I enrolled at UKM studying Computer Science. Another major reason why my English proficiency died. XP


6. But if it wasn't for UKM, I wouldn't have berjinak (sorry, can't find a better word for it) with Korean entertainment. And I wouldn't have met my beloved separate-end-of-the-Pole twinnie Farah. ♥


7. Koreans overtook my heart. I flitted around a lot at first before stopping at Shinhwa and Park Hyo Shin. Hmm actually I've now cut down to only Shinhwa. Even just the six of them hurts my money.


8. Rise and fall of a kingdom. Heart still pains over this. "Gaining Through Losing" is an apt metaphor.


9. SHINHWA IN SINGAPORE! Enough said. *eyes crinkle from awesome unforgettable memories*


10. The trials and tribulations brought us all closer. ILY, Orenji Famili.


11. My slow but sure return to Japanese rock with the help of several bands I call my saviours: Gazette [2006], MUCC [2006], RENTRER EN SOI [2008].


12. My very obvious rekindled love for LUNA SEA [2007]. They were my sole reason I could survive in Penang for 1 year without reliable Internet connection. Although I couldn't forgive them for disbanding, their comeback made me realise where my loyalty truly lies.


13. A 'steady' career working with Elderaan Technologies, if I may call it that, ensures that I have an almost steady supply of Kpop and VK. And no, I'm not thinking of continuing my studies.


14. Har har. So much for Kpop eh? Jaded-ness has ruined my respect for the Korean music industry. Goodbye, fake love.


15. Family rifts. I'm neither here nor there nor on the fence. I sway whenever it pleases me. However, I will NOT end this cold war with that asshole of a person I should be calling Brother.


16. Sarina Abdullah Thani and Siti Aishah Khairazan (+ her sporting hubby). My bestfriends and soulmates? ILY as well. ♥


17. My disgraceful yet verrry satisfactory downfall into Johnny's and Associates fandom. All thanks to KinKi Kids, my newest heroes who protected me from a period of depression during early 2009.


18. Japan. Oh my God, JAPAN. My utmost travel dream came true. ♥♥


19. Visual Kei and Orenji Famili. Highly impossible to be crossed over was my first thought. LOL. Look at us now. We're even holding concert nights :D


20. Two weddings in a year [2009]. My eldest brother and my younger brother.

A lot of good and bad things happened this year. I may have even changed a bit eventhough I'm still generally young at heart. *cough*

I dunno if I'll be able to think up of more because you're in danger of falling asleep from boredom. Guh.

New Pairing: YasuXHyde

Puahahaha! Click on the Up Arrow button on bottom-right of the player and then 'Show Captions'.

Acid Black Century?? Haido-san sure is oblivious.

But man, this stuff is laden with shounen-ai. *hugs Yasu-ni*

To My Archangel

Happeh belated birthday to my dear (3rd) ex-husband whom I still love with all my heart and soul: SUGIZO!

I haven't been sharing his songs much with any of you lot on Friendster, because I've somehow been afraid of how you would accept his type of music... Sure, I spazz a lot about Gazette and MUCC and Yasu *wipes drool* and even Abingdon Boys School. I even chucked Hyde for him. Lolz. (Thank God I did, cos Hyde's such a disgrace now)

But not one of them can come close to the sheer magnificence of this man. Yeah so his niche is electronica, big deal. It doesn't matter to me in what way he reaches out to people.

It's his humbleness (uh ok so he only changed his attitude after Luna was born), his joie de vivre, his love for life and how he sees goodness in a world so bleak.

Viva Sugizo-san! So let me spread his infectious loving with a few of my most favourite songs (which I think everyone can accept and will love):

• Cosmo Miumiu | by Miu Sakamoto


• Alice | by Maki


• Dear Life | by Sugizo & the Spank Your Juice


• Deliver.. | by Sugizo

Ranting Overkill

First of all, I'd like to thank my friends who've been really supportive and caring. Thank you to you, you and you. You know who you are ;D

overspent x_x

i pray that Shinhwa oppa deul will forgive me for the sins i have done. *chews on fingernails* the introvert-shopper in me was caught purchasing several items that may or may not cause setbacks to my Seoul Trip Budget (let's name it STB).

you see, with my STB plan in motion, i vowed not to indulge in materialistic endeavours apart from spending on food and necessities.

now look what i bought within just a period of TWO days! T_T

1. L'Arc~en~Ciel's KISS CD - it was only selling for RM60 which would've cost a TON if i bought it off YesAsia. i swear i really thought it through instead of just grabbing it off the shelf and running to the counter (who am i convincing?)


2. CDData November issue - erm, i was feeling a tad excited yesterday frolicking in Kinokuniya's newly renovated Japanese corner. besides, it has abingdon boys school and Luna Sea featured... *feels guilt pricking on skin*


3. Korean to English dictionary - aha! i need this! i really really needed this. ahahahahaha. -_-

i'm not even sure how much i spent for the past 2 months. God knows what my total savings amount is since i haven't gone to any Public Bank branch yet. clever, Arfah, clever!

mayhaps the splurging was due to the full moon? <-- what a stupid excuse.

before i forget, i'd like to wish a HAPPY YULETIDE to all my beloved friends, acquaintances and oppas *points to those six guys and one other man*.

anyway, i'm in the midst of finishing my new Luna Sea Skin. errrr this was an unplanned skin, and i have like 3 or 4 skins that i should have finished 6 months ago. siiigh. couldn't very well pass up the chance to do a tribute to their concert last night, ne?

omedetou Tet-chan! (^_^)

Just when I start listening back to old L'Arc~en~Ciel songs, and just when I am about to start downloading their latest album.... I find out that Tetsu (bassist) is going to get hitched to this really purty model named Sakai Ayana!

awwwwwww Omedetou gozaimasu, Tet-chan :D
p/s: I'm not bearing any grudge because I know he ain't getting any younger..

Here's the link to the announcement on his bride-to-be's blog. Not surprisingly, their age gap is 16 years *fake gasp*. He's always been a paedo. xD

siiigh. Tetsu happens to be the reason why I fell in love with bass (and bassists) 10 years ago. His riffs were are so blardy complex and back then, when I was still a teenybopper-psycho, I had never heard of anything so mesmerizingly beautiful. Well.. apart from Haido-san. heheh.

Anyway, the point is that Laruku really made a big impact in my life ;]

Hail, SKIN - the Superband!!

Ladies and gentleman, JROCK IS BACK!!

freaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak xDD
the reports, photos and fancams from the Jrock Revolution Festival are sizzling hot, man! i'm like dying here with all the spasmodic and rapturous happ-y-ness to see that SUGIZO and Yoshiki (and well, miyavi too <_<) are totally making my dream come true.

dammit all! at the end of this month, they're gonna finally perform together (with Gackt) as a whole new band, debuting as S.K.I.N. infront of all those lucky people in California. guhhhh how i wish i could waste myself and fly there T_T



ohmaaaiGOD. sugizosugizosugizoyoshikisugizosugizo <3333
i don't think i can sleep tonight knowing there's so many youtube clips to watch x_x

oh, speaking on another less spazzing issue in this pointless entry.. jrocknyc (a Jrock-critic blog i follow religiously) gave a thumbs down to Laruku's SEVENTH HEAVEN. which shows that i'm NOT a biased fan. HAH! eat that you silly new Laruku fans who think you know everything about them but you don't! wtf.

c: [pics] Auralcandy

Playa?

In last week's Korean class, our teacher made up mad funny examples for our vocab by using our names. When it was my turn, she said something that sounded like this: "Arfah has many gorgeous Korean boyfriends." Context may have been altered hohoho. Unbeknownst to her, I actually have a loooong history with gorgeous boyfriends and husbands. I omitted the minor characters. kkk. Here are my main influencers:-

1st (ex) Husband; Kimura Takuya [Married in 1998. Divorced in 1998]

&& It was the year my good friend Sook Haan introduced me to SMAP. My first foray into Jpop was their Dynamite! song. then Long Vacation did me in. She lent me the first episode and I succumbed. He cooks, his hair is great, he can act and he's Best Jeanist for how many years already?

1st Affair; Sorimachi Takashi [Started in 1998. Broke up in 1998]

&& His ass is so hot in speedos. Remember Beach Boys? plus, GTO is crack (the manga and the drama).

2nd (ex) Husband; Hyde (L'Arc~en~Ciel) [1998-2000]

&& THE reason I fell in love with Jrock. Rurouni Kenshin movie opening theme is Niji - my first and utmost favourite Laruku song. His voice. His deep lyrics. His beautiful songs. What's not to love about him? Then he married Megumi Ooishi. DENIAL. Divorce. Now? Just friends.

2nd Affair and 3rd (ex) Husband; SUGIZO (ex-Luna Sea) [1999-2001]

&& The sexiest Jrocker alive. This was the Walking Porn who raped my innocent mind :D Despite that, he's got a daughter whom he'd sacrifice his fame for. A sexy father-figure *licks*. Broke up because of no Internet connection. Still love him very much.

Boyfriends [1998-2004];

&& Yoshiki -- This man is GOD. He's the power behind all the great Jrock bands of age (X Japan, Luna Sea, Dir en grey, GLAY, etc) Love him for his awesome skills.

&& Kaoru (Dir en grey) -- HOT. 'nuff said.

&& Yutaka Takenouchi -- Just because.

&& Hisashi and Jiro (GLAY) -- Very short relationship. Sugizo and Hyde demands a lot.

Boyfriends [2004-2006];

&& Danny and Jinhwan (1TYM) -- A short period of time when I started digging rap & hiphop.

&& Eeteuk (Super Junior) -- Because he looks my type.. the pretty guy type.

4th and current Husband; Kim Dongwan (Shinhwa) [2004-... ]

&& The one person in my life who doesn't try to look pretty. Look at the above names! He's the most manliest of em all. LOL. He's a dork, a clown and is a very down-to-earth man. That's what eventually pulled me in ;) He is Love... Shinhwa is LOVE.

3rd Affair, 5th and current Husband; Park Hyoshin [2005-... ]

&& His voiiiiiiice... *sigh* Believe it or not. My first ever Ballad-ist. And once I'm stuck to him, no one else (other ballad singers) can sway me as much as him. Oh and, this time I'm back to pretty-ness!

aaaand now I'm back to Jrock! what a tedious cycle

My walk down the old path

a recent spew of new Jrock singles and albums (the GazettE, Kagrra, & Rentrer en Soi for instance), has revived a flame of passion in me which almost died in March/April last year. one downloaded album led to another and now i'm tracking down full discographies. that is if i can find working torrents who did i start listening to in the first place? well it's a looong story.. to cut the history lecture short i'll just shortlist my favorites:

[1998] L'Arc~en~Ciel; Rurouni Kenshin movie. Glay and Dir en grey; from Jrock Channel. Malice Mizer and Gackt, too. X Japan!

[1999] Luna Sea -Hyde (i want the old Hyde back!!). basically i just fell out because Kpop demanded so much from me.

suddenly, now that i'm older (and hopefully, maturer) i'm hopelessly lost amidst the whole download-every-show-follow-every-video mentality of Kpop fans. it's scary how the scale might tip at any time and unseat my Kpop-fan identity. i love Kpop, i really do. but i realise i don't like to collect every single thing (DVD, photobook schmuck) because i'm content just by listening to music. and break me or waive me, i am still a hardcore Jrock-fan at heart. before anyone counters and calls me an undignified fan, let me assure ya that i still keep Shinhwa and Hyoshin foremost in my heart. but anything/anyone other than them... i'd only manage to get bored with rather fast. ah, it's just me.. i fall in and out of love too easily.

Goodbye 2006.. Hello 2007

I'm so happy that I remained a good Laruku fan. Seems that my old hangout joint, Laruku.com, is undergoing a total regenesis. Damn. Took 5 bloody long years to kick the webbie alive again. Anyway grousing aside, they're offering a free L'Arc 15th Anniversary gift and guess what? It's the t-shirt that I featured in my blog before! mwahaha It feels good that I already own something so precious AND gave it away as a present for JerRy ^___^.

A lot of other good things happened in my life last year, tiring tho at times.. it was all worth it ^-^. So here is my summary of the year that was:

The first quarter of 2006 opened up with a rare opportunity for me to study Networking. I made new friends and passed my MCSE course. March was the revival of my love for Jrock. and ooh~ I got to meet Cha Taehyun and Song Hyegyo! In April, I started as a trial Kpop Kingdom staff under the watchful guidance of my twinnie. lol. And then we slaved for 5 months in preparation for Kingdom's first ever magnanimous KPop project: the TVfXQ Live in Malaysia Concert.

Summer was definitely our season ;D! The concert proved that Malaysia is finally being recognised by South Koreans. Plus, July had brought me closer to Super Junior. I think without their presence in Malaysia, I'd have died out of boredom (Shinhwa was too busy with solo activities and hadn't prepared a new album). However, my heart still belongs to Shinhwa oppa deul. September was the CLIMAX: I met Shinhwa with my own 2 eyes. I practically begged my dad for money to go for their State of the Art concert in Singapore!! And I shall eternally be enlightened with their love

wide awake

Laruku's newest album AWAKE is releasing this Wednesday... and in just 5 mins (ek correction, 15 mins ^^;) i've already downloaded the whole album!!

TT_______TT~~~ ^______________^ mwahhh i love z-degrees.net! m(_ _)m THANK YOU, ZD m(_ _)m

eh. too happy to spazz right now XDDDD i feel like crying. *runs off to listen to album*