Last Moon

The concept album and its promotional tour, Last Visualive, are Gackt's first in almost seven years.[1] It is called "last" because it is considered as a turning point in his career, whether it will be his last original release and tour, featuring his signature stage shows, for a while or not.[6][7] It is called "Visualive" because links together video, performance and music.[8] On October 7, 2015 the single "Arrow" was released.[9] The tour and album release were supported by Nestlé.[10] Through this collaboration, on Nestle's special website every month until the official release, new songs to be included for the album were available for streaming and download.[10]

The concept was conceived in 2004 during the Sixth Day & Seventh Night tour (song "Utakata no Yume"). It was followed by the Diabolos tour in 2005, and in between the Requiem et Reminiscence II tour in 2009, Gackt thought to do the Last Moon tour. However, due to the vast developing time of Mysteries of Yoshitsune I&II plays he would not be able do the RR II concept, and instead managed to establish the Visualive form with the RR II concept.[2]

Conceptually, the story of the "Moon Saga" is separated in four chapters. The first chapter takes places roughly from the year 700 to 1300, second from 1300 to 1600, third from 1600 to current time (2000), and fourth from the current time (2000) to the future (2045).[11][12] The work from 2002 (Moon) and 2003 (Crescent, movie Moon Child, novel Moon Child Requiem) covered the fourth chapter, from 2005 (Diabolos) took place between the second and third chapter,[11] while from 2012-2014 (theatre play Mysteries of Yoshitsune I&II, novel Moon Saga Mysteries of Yoshitsune) and 2016 (Last Moon) depict the first chapter.[7] The whole story is set in both Europe and Asia (mostly Japan), depending on the story and meaning wanted to be expressed.[11]

The idea was to create a story where the Oni (Japanese demons) were the origin of vampires, and eventually of the central character in the first chapter, Yoshitsune Minamoto.[13] In the Heian period existed those called as Mononoke (spirits), and Mononofu, who were born between humans and Mononoke, and with special powers dominated both Mononoke and humans. The story from Mysteries of Yoshitsune spreads out when the member with inherited blood crossed over to Europe, and became the progenitor of the later vampires.[14]

The story from the first chapter follows the "darkside inhabitants" - darts, who were scattered all over Europe, fighting for different countries even against fellow inhabitants in the shadow of history.[12] The second chapter how they tried to make something that will surpass them and for purpose of fighting, so were created 13 "shitos" (使徒, apostle, disciple), but their body was incomplete and couldn't appear under the sun.[12] From the third chapter, now known as "vampires", is followed their life.[12] They didn't pursue their purpose of life, and as become aware of the darkness inside them, raises the question what is now their purpose of existence.[12] After the awakening, two of the thirteen shito died (the man and woman shown in the music video of "Todokanai Ai to Shitteita no ni Osaekirezu ni Aishitsuzuketa...") leaving behind eleven. Five out of the eleven decided to stand up and fight against the darts, their creators. They wanted to prove that there was meaning in their existence, however they were outnumbered, and there was only one shito survivor.[12]

However, it is not a vampire's story as they were presented as a way of expressing a certain evil side and existence of humans.[11][14] People long for immortality, believing it to be a wonderful thing, while vampires know how painful such an immortal existence can be and seek a peaceful death,[11] because without death the life has no meaning.[14] The theme of the concept, like his other in Requiem et Reminiscence albums, is about the existential questions of humanity. The "Moon Saga" is a symbolic story about the repetition of human sins, war and the question of what is the ultimate meaning of human life.[11][15] The history of mankind's struggle – the suffering and sorrow in the quest for the virtues and ideas.[7]

According to Gackt, it's a heavy album with deep world view, and it's definitely not suitable to be simply played in the background.[2] Almost every song was created from the story sketched above and features a special image or place in the live performance.[7] Having studied traditional Japanese poetry, Gackt incorporated a mix of traditional and modern speech in the lyrics, and experimented with the songs' beat, noting that traditional Japanese poetry is more suitable for an irregular beat.[2][6][17] He also listened to the esoteric Buddhist sutras.[2] The songs are distinctive for their blend of modern Western musical instruments and traditional Japanese instruments, like Shakuhachi, Shamisen, Shinobue, Erhu, Shō, Koto and Taiko,[16] a kind of music called by Gackt as "Zipangu rock" from which can be sensed the country of origination.[18]

The song "Arrow" was meant for the very end of the story, but was performed at the start of the live.[7] It is an intense ballad rock song, lyrics of which deal with the sacrifice for an ideal future.[7] Some songs like "Hana mo Chiyu" are written as waka, which have a 5-7-5 pattern, and are suitable for irregular quintuple or septuple beats.[2] The song "Kugutsu ga Gotoku" also has archaic Japanese words.[19] The song "Kimi Dake no Boku de Iru Kara" is about the heartbreaking determination and the desire to protect a lover dying from illness. Its animated music video features Gackt. The song is conceptually related to "P.S. I Love U" as the man's feelings for a woman are expressed in the first, while the woman's feelings about the man are expressed in the second song.[20]

Although not in the track list, the songs "Hakuro" and "Sakura Chiru..." are part of the four song series from the first chapter of "Moon Saga", along with "Setsugekka (The End of Silence)" and "Akatsukizukuyo (Day Breakers)".[21]

The album was released on April 27, 2016 in two physical editions, regular (CD; GLCD-00016) and limited (CD+DVD; GLCD-00015), as well as on Spotify.[1][22] Until November 6, 2015 a special limited edition (GLCD-00014) was available on Gackt's official website's global store.[3] In November 2016 was announced that the album is being re-recorded for an English language version and future release.[19]

During the tour was sold limited edition album titled "Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki –Last Moon–" (GLCD-00017) with two CDs (CD 1 48:28 - CD 2 59:07 minutes), with the whole live setlist in original order.[23]

On August 8 Gackt's first national (and world) tour in seven years, called Last Visualive Saigo no Tsuki –Last Moon–, was announced.[34] Although the original intention was to be held in 2015, it was postponed to 2016. It started with a fanclub only concert on March 19 at Misato City Cultural Hall in Saitama,[35] with the first public show being held on March 21 at the Colany Hall in Yamanashi.[34] In January 2016, because most of the 25 concerts sold out, an additional 16 were announced, making the total 41 concerts.[36] The tour ended on July 3 with two consecutive shows at the Saitama Super Arena, consisting of a total of 42 concerts in thirty cities and over 120,000 visitors.[37]

The final show was broadcast on WOWOW in October 2016, and its live recording will be released in regular and premium DVD and Blu-ray edition on March 14, 2017.[38][39] In the ending credits of the final show were announced world tour and return tour in Japan in 2017.[40]

• Albums official website