Yesterday was the big day. I got to get leave my house XD
I’m so hungry for a gig these days it’s depressing. When I studied in Tokyo I went to different clubs basically every week and now I’m glad if I get 4 gigs in a year xD
Yesterday was not just any live, it was the first live for Schwarz Stein’s new release Demigod. They announced it at their last solo gig in July and I think we all got hyped. The one thing that made me feel :/ was that half of the songs are previous releases. Kaya said at the announcement that the last singles will be included but I was very surprised to see two songs from Immortal Verses as well. A fellow SS fan sent me the songs so I could listen before the gig today and they are the same versions as previously released so honestly I don’t understand why they chose to include them. One more thing I noticed was that they have changed Blanc dehors, it does not sound the same as last year when they first played it live (correct me if I’m wrong).
Last week on Thursday Schwarz Stein had a coupling live with Moi Dix Mois and Közi, I had a bad feeling about that (meaning I was scared stuff would sell out) so I asked a friend yet again to buy me a copy of the CD and Hora’s DIABLO. And they actually did sell out 😳 which resulted in them setting a limit to one copy per person in Osaka (which was later during the night lifted though). The sad part was that some people seemed to have bought several copies just to put them up on mercari for double the price...
Anyway, I went early to make sure I’d be able to get the merch that I wanted. The badges sold out quickly, the rest was available throughout the night.
They played all the songs from the album plus Perfect garden, Current, Succubus, Sleeping madness and New Vogue Children. During the live Kaya hinted that they might play a song during the after event but they never did. We didn’t get to ask any questions either, it was just the two of them talking about the new album. So here are some things I remember:
Kaya said he really likes fixer, but that he actually likes the remix a bit better.
Hora said he also likes the remixes a lot. Apparently he usually likes the remixes better. He said he doesn’t like when there are remixes that are so different from the original that you can’t hear what song it is so he makes the remix side by side with the original (as I understood it).
Kaya mentioned that they haven’t really played Addictive Epicurean in the past at lives (meaning back in the early 2000). He said he, at the time, didn’t like to do songs that had long intros because he never knew what to do during that time on stage.
They also talked about live streams. Many fans have requested them, especially from overseas, so they’re thinking about doing that again. But Kaya mentioned that he’d like everyone to listen to Demigod on cd while looking in the booklet (if I remember correctly he meant it as he think hearing the CD first is ideal and not on livestream).
About fixer, according to Hora, it’s been one of those songs he’s had for s long time (he said about 5 years).
Last week Hora also released a new single/mini album; Diablo. It includes 3 songs: DIABLO, INVINCIBLE and STARFALL.
DIABLO is an original, I could not hear any sampling or what you might call it (fans of Hora are probably familiar with him incorporating melodies from his previous songs in new ones). STARFALL is a remake of Astral Nebula from DESOLATION BEAUTY and INVINCIBLE includes part of Pray to God -heir- from COCYTUS.
I'm really happy that Hora has started releasing some stuff recently. No song has matched Synthetic God yet though (OMG it's so good :O)
So, what did I think of DEMIGOD?
First, I'm so happy they remade Addictive Epicurean because I LOVE that song and I've been dying to hear it live. I love the remake, both the remix and the regular. My other new Schwarz Stein favourite is fixer... They played it last year once in Tokyo and once in Osaka and I loved it then too but now it's literally on repeat. (I went to Kyoto today and it was basically fixer with a bit of Lover remix and Addictive Epicurean for 4 hours).
Lover, first time when I heard it I felt like it was familiar. At first I thought it sounded a bit like Current (the chorus) but then I realised it sounds a bit like Haven from their greatest hits Licht. I always enjoy Hora's remixes but I rarely say I prefer the remixes, but in the case of Lover I actually. It has a darker sound XD if that makes sense...it probably doesn't because both are pretty upbeat. OK, it's heavier. I always turn the volume up really high when I listen to music and the remix makes me feel like I have a small rave inside my head XD
I acctually enjoyed the remix of Anima more than the original. It got this kind of 80s sound that I like. Anima is interesting, the moment I heard it I felt like this will become a Schwarz Stein song XD (I even wrote it on my instagram when I shared a picture of the cd). I think you can hear when Hora is planning to add vocals or not. Sometimes at least.
What surprised me was that there was no doom! They played a song called doom on Hora's birthday live 2023, which was a remake of his solo song Ignition. I was sure that would turn up on this release but nope.
Looking forward to hearing the songs live again next month in Tokyo!
