Many apologies for not updating in so long.
I run this blog all by myself, and lately life has been getting in the way.
I promise I have not forgotten about it, and I will be posting again when I am able to. In the meantime, if you have any questions, suggestions, or requests, please feel free to email me.
With the passing of Taiji from X Japan, Amy Winehouse, and Isshi from Kagrra, it's really been a dark summer for music so far. Say what you will about their various personal reputations, they were all artists and they were all human beings. I think their passing from the world leaves us a little more lonely.
For those of you who didn't know, the cause of Taiji's death is believed to have been suicide.
Amy Winehouse is believed to have overdosed on a lethal combination of various drugs, whether on purpose or not, it doesn't really matter. If you think her death is funny, or at least unsurprising, I ask you to just remember the darkest place you have ever been, and then imagining living there every minute of your waking life, and ask yourself you would do.
The cause of Isshi's death appears to be unknown. I admit this one is the one that strikes the deepest for me personally, since I was an avid follower of Kagrra in their early days. Like Kagerou, they were one of the last visual rock pioneers, with a fiercely original, eerie, beautiful sound, all shaped by Isshi's ethereal presence, fantastical interpretation of historical scholarship, and haunting falsetto voice. If you never listened to Kagrra, I urge you to give them a try, even if just as a memoriam. I would recommend some songs, but the list would be too long, so I'll leave it for another post. In the meantime, go on YouTube and search for some of their beautifully produced music videos.
May each of them rest in peace.
And all the readers of Blog-Tick all around the world, if you feel touched or moved when you read this post, then please, take a moment to stay silent and say a prayer for all the souls who passed on, in the Great East Japan Earthquake, and unrelated to the disaster. And then take a moment to hold your loved ones close, and pray for the safety, health, and longevity of all the rest of us who you love who are still alive, including the precious and irreplaceable members of Buck-Tick, because there are never too many prayers, and there no such thing as too much love.
yeah... Kagrra was one of the first bands which introduced me to Japanese music and Isshi's voice was one of the fews which could give me goosebumps . and Taiji was one of my favorite bass players . i dont know whats with July . last year Daisuke(Kagerou)...
ReplyDeleteNice to hear from you again, it was getting lonely ^^ I've been following your blog for a while and I'm taking the chance to thank you for your hard work.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks and virtual hugs! \(^-^)/
this is the first i'm hearing of isshi's passing and i'm just speechless. i love his voice. i regretted kagrra;s disbandment because i loved their sound but i continued to follow isshi in his solo work. like you, this one hits me hardest
ReplyDeleteamy's death was also tragic and i was shocked to hear of it. really, such young talented people gone too soon.
as for taiji, i can't say that i'm a fan but my heart goes out to those who are and to his friends and family.
very touching post. i pray for those who died and for those who survive. may the members of bt as well live long, healthy and happy lives. i hope to see them live one day
Thank you for this post. I only just saw it now. It's a funny time in our earth life. Maybe just bc we are so connected through this strange web and we can really feel loss in the human family. Love is more needed now than ever. Death and Destruction are all around. It seems as though the only antidote is in our hearts and it must come strong and undivided. Like these artists, I have lived the dark night of the soul for a very long time. I know struggle and pain and want to give up regularly. I CAN imagine what Amy's struggle or Taiji's struggle must have been. Death can seem like the only peace, but it is final, and we must choose carefully. Life is a fragile gift, snatched from us too soon, even without our own involvement. Living is pain, but we must try and transcend. I have no advice how, I only know that we must!
ReplyDeleteThank you. This is a beautiful post.
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