VIOLET UK bassist departs The Khind

After taking over vocals for a while, MANDI has parted ways from The Khind.

She is now working on something else, something HUGE.

We'll have to wait and see if this EPIC new endevour has anything to do with VIOLET UK or not.

Past and future prison my heart

Over a year has passed since the VUK debut announcement video appeared on YouTube.

Since then, other than in a few interviews, there has been a unnerving silence surrounding the release.

Are fans being set up for a repeat of 2005? If so, do we get an apology test-mix single again?

From what we've heard, YOSHIKI has a ballad he's been working hard on, editing vocals for over a year. 

He describes the song as:-

1) better than Tears

2) sounding similar to Queen

3) has so many vocal tracks, it's a nightmare to edit

This ballad is one reason the album is isn't in our hands yet.

Another is the whole mini album vs full album debate and a re-thinking of what songs will make the final cut.

Lastly, X JAPAN fans are holding out for another world tour and album. 

Their voices and passion are so strong, and the other members are ready and willing. 

So why should YOSHIKI spend the next year or 2 or 3 on VUK and be constantly hounded about making good on that promise he's made to X JAPAN fans?

Consider all of the above,

and that we are now in October.

And just pray a miracle will occur and by December 31st we'll all have that 1st VUK album in our playlists.

The calm before the storm?

After a successful show at the Grammy museum YOSHIKI is preparing for the world wide release of YOSHIKI Classical.

Yoshiki is now in japan ready to unleash

A few more products.

- X JAPAN blue rays available sept. 25 (check amazon.co.jp)

- Yoshiki headphones (tweeted about for 2nd time) ... Announcement pending

There is a possibility that the headphones are part of the VIOLET UK release plan.

Selling them as part of a set with the debut album would seem like a good way to make sure we hear the songs in as high quality as possible.

It's equally possible that they are a stand alone product.

Time will tell.

Things could get interesting in the following weeks leading up to Yoshiki classical worldwide release.

Lets keep our fingers n toes crossed.

YOSHIKI Solo Debut: How Hard will he go?

I started to write this a while back...

And thought I'll post it now...think of it as a pre-cursor to what's about to happen starting Feb 19th 2014, hosted by the amazing Stan Lee:)

Pre-cursor to YC world Tour:

YOSHIKI debut as started to get coverage in Japan, his Gig at the Grammy Museum is sold out, the performance is moving into the 21st century with Free USTREAM and NICONICO live streams.

How hard will YOSHIKI go to become a HOUSEHOLD name in the US?

Let's put a few things in perspective:
- X JAPAN started off really strong (hijacking hollywood for their PV shoot)
- Performing at Lollapalooza... touring, getting some news and magazine coverage

YOSHIKI did a good job without having anything to work with.
But the band's inability to promote itself...
Inability to release an album... (ok maybe the blame is on YOSHIKI)
(Allegedly) There's also the other members lack of interest in 'going hard' (Sugizo is an exception)
So naturally their momentum came to an abrupt halt.
VIOLET UK was meant to the next attempt. But let's not go there. 

Fast forward to the debut: YOSHIKI Classical.....( to be continued after Feb 19th)

YOSHIKI Classical: Track list/release points of interest (1)

YOSHIKI is finally making his Solo Debut outside of Japan.

We know there's an album, a short performance of 5-6 songs comprising of songs from the album and maybe a few from X Japan.

The gig will be broadcast live at the following link or on Ustream (please google):-

http://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv149624589

Observations:-

1) The tracklist for both iTUNES and AMAZON in the US is interesting.

You'll notice that ROSA (Quartet Ver.) has been replaced with Say Anything.

Go check out the previews. There's only 2 songs that haven't been available to purchase previously. 

However, it's possible that the songs have been re-mastered as Anniversary seems to be mixed differently to EMII to my ears. Also the subtitle in the song name credits Yoshiki studio orchestra,

but maybe I'm hearing things. The piano sounds a little lower in the mix to my ears.

2) Anyway.. another interesting point to note, is the Japanese CD version

substitutes Say Anything for The Last Song. Again, until its released it could be a misprint.

...Also its possible that the CD will have a bonus track or that management decided to change

things up and try and get some extra sales.

3) Amazon USA seems to be the cheapest place at USD 9.99 for the full download.

(iTunes is USD 11.99).. and Japanese fans must buy the CD at just over 3000 JPY since there is no digital release.

I'll end here cos my keyboard is going crazy...and the cursor is jumping all over the place!

(must be the planets aligning ;)

Today's FOCUS: Violet UK vocalist

Katie Fitzgerald joined VUK sometime during 2005.

She was the vocalist for Mary Monalisa which was planned as one of the lead singles off the 2005 VUK album (along with Sex and Religion which featured departed member Natalie).

Unfortunately the album never eventuated.

In 2006 we got to hear a demo of Mary Monalisa via myspace as well as a new

previously unknown track, City of Devils.

YOSHIKI then praised her performance on the unreleased track Asphixia, stating that sections of the song matched the image YOSHIKI had in mind (a very rare occurrence) and that it has moments that make the recording effort meaningful.

She soared to new hights on the ending theme to REPO, VUK-R.

Katie went on to front the 2008 reunion show performances and was the vocalist on Goemon's theme, Rosa.

Her artist card backs up comments by YOSHIKI that she is now the official vocalist for the group.

Her final public appearance with Violet UK was at AGE.

.... If you'd like to hear her solo tracks check her profile out below:

http://artistecard.com/katiefitzgerald

ps.. For Mac/iOs users you might need to enable JavaScript to view.

MUSIC is COMING this Summer...

No one outside of the people involved know what is being released…
but what we do know is it's MUSIC this time.
and Summer is the season..

Quartet San Francisco members
kindly responded to fans on Facebook regarding their recording with YOSHIKI.
They mentioned that they recorded parts for: ROSA and the Golden Globe ~theme~.
YOSHIKI backed this up tweeting using Hashtags VIOLET UK, ROZA, Classical…...

Hence my picks for what could be coming:-

- YOSHIKI solo album to showcase/launch his solo career in the US
- EM III including songs classical arrangements of VUK, X Japan
and Yoshiki solo works since EMII (basically the same as the first option but with the EM name)
- VIOLET UK debut (it's hard to imagine… finally?)

What it isn't:
- X JAPAN
- S.K.I.N.