Understanding Klaha?

[Mortis]

This has been on my mind for a longer time now, and although to completely get an answer I'd need to ask a guy called Haruna Masaki... but I was thinking, it'd be nice to hear what is your take on it!

The question is: What do you think exactly drove Klaha to exchange his, I guess, roots (I definitely think Pride of Mind was something to be extremely proud of), and the just-achieved status as an operatic-type kei singer (very rare to have a male one in the scene) in Malice Mizer into being generally pop-oriented?

I haven't been able to absorb myself into his new work as well as I'd hoped. It's not bad at all, very nicely quirky considered it's mainstream-ish, but it'd be shallow of me to say I'm not shallow when it comes to a bit of visuality here and there. Definitely cheers things up :p Same goes for grinding guitars and trashy beats.

What do you think? Just on the basic level of what-would-you-think

 

[Anonymous]

I think that Klaha had never been given a real oportunity to express himself before so we can't really know if he would have produced something similar even back in his Pride of Mind days. Or perhaps he wanted to try something different without necessarily abandoning anything. Perhaps he's trying his limits you know? He's been quiet for a while now which puzzles me. Perhaps he wasn't happy with the results either. Perhaps he was discouraged cause people's reactions weren't possitive. Perhaps he's working on a new project with Yu~ki

(damn I keep hoping for that)

 

[Akito]

He writes some amazing lyrics and he has a great voice. I think he should pair up with some one (who can do compositions better).

His new stuff isn't that bad . . . (I love Marchen)

 

[Mortis]

Very agreeable points! Märchen, although in the vein of his album, is not a shabby release at all, it's actually rather tasty :] Much more dynamic material on that one. I can also see what you mean by expressing himself, or rather, trying out his 'wings'... it's true that he's always been a bit of a replacement. So it's great that he is trying things out... shame his compositional skills - while not bad - are pretty traditional. They don't really let his voice shine, at least not this far.

As far as I go, Malice Mizer was an excellent playground for his voice - the music forgave everything that is now slightly visible in his solo work.

Any other opinions?

 

[Nocturne]

haha Yu~ki doing something with him. If that were to happen, Yuki will eventually be working with every one of the Malice Mizer members.

Imagine this. Ju-ken (SP) from Gackt, the bass player, gets sick and the person filling in is none other than Yuki all decked out in his Gardenia costume while the others are dressed semi normal

 

[Lavinia_san]

I agree with Amasanin : Klaha (as he had said in some interviews) try to do what he really wants. And maybe it doesn't like a lot, cause people used to listen to Malice Mizer or Pride of Mind, which wasn't (as Klaha said) the real Klaha. I think we have to look further and wait for what he's preparing (I hope with Yu ki too, which wouldn't be so strange.. I think).

 

[flowersofnight]

I dunno about Malice Mizer, but I think Pride of mind was the "real Klaha" at the time. Seeing as he co-founded the group and all that. Also if you look at what he said he was interested in back then, he was into new wave artists and things like that. I assume that he just lost his interest at some point and moved on to doing the stuff he does now.

EDIT: oh yeah, and Klaha was a Malice Mizer fan back in the day too! He attended MM's first live with Gackt back in 1995, did you know that? ^_^

 

[Jessi]

EDIT: oh yeah, and Klaha was a Malice Mizer fan back in the day too! He attended MM's first live with Gackt back in 1995, did you know that? ^_^

That's so cute....it was a sign. Talk about destiny, huh?

Edit: Er...that's so "cool" not "cute". Although I suppose it could be considered kinda cute, too...

 

[Herr Doktor Knave]

new Klaha reminds me of Michael Buble (that's acompliment, jsut incase of of you don't like Michael Buble)

I wouldn't call it poppy or mainstream sounding, because those two phrases almost always have a negative connotation to it.

I'd call what Klaha is doing now to be kind of a lonuge/jazz/blues/rock act, and given the right mood, I can really get into something like that.

always rememeber, jsut because it isn't dark doesn't mean it's selling out.

 

[Mortis]

I don't think any of us are necessarily thinking that Klaha's "selling out", at least my feelings are more puzzled than judgemental Musical tastes change rapidly and you don't have to have your heart into something in order to pursue that, whatever it may be, that's for sure.

Still, it's really interesting how quickly he made his transformation. It took Gackt a few singles, you know :p Not that you can ever compare those two in any way though.

 

[BloodBlack]

I'll have to agree with the opinion that Malice Mizer was good for Klaha, voice wise. If it wasn't really him, so be it, but......

To make good pop music, like anything, you have to be good at it.
And I'm not real sure that Klaha's voice is good for pop music.
His vibrato, while really good for classical pieces, just doesn't flow that well in most of the pop music hes trying to convey.

Now mind you, I really like pop music, catchy beats and what not.
Gackts choice of going that way was a great idea, he has got the voice for it.

But poor Klaha, I don't think it was the best choice sadly...

But damn I LOVE me some New Wave(its my fav type of music)
so Pride of Mind is the shiz at times

 

[Nocturne]

Yeah his voice sometimes wont fit with it. I dont describe the majority of his music as pop though. I think of it as Epic Rock or something,most of his songs are epic.

 

[Mortis]

Anyone notice how good stuff the first track on the Märchen EP, Hisoka, is? :p

 

[Elec]

I just have no clue who exactly he's trying to appeal to is all.

 

[Herr Doktor Knave]

fans of that style, obviously

 

[Mortis]

I think Elec means that fans of the music genre Klaha is currently treading might not appreciate his visual kei/new wave past as much as we do :p

 

[mija]

Klaha is an amazing singer...its just that his solo work doesn't really show his talent~but I hope he releases more things in the future~

 

[Lavinia_san]

It's quite normal people who like VK or new wave don't like Klaha's new style... but I know some person who prefer his solo carrier and love his voice in it. I think it just depends on each one taste.
And I agree to say that his new work is a good work, even if it's not really the type of music I prefer.

 

[Kame]

To me, it seems his voice doesn't really fit with his new style... but maybe that's just because I was so used to Malice Mizer/Pride of Mind before I heard it. The solo stuff really seems it would suit someone like,say, Maaya Sakamoto better, but since it seems to be what Klaha wants to be doing, I certainly can't hold anything against him for it. I'd love him to go back to the darker stuff but, hey, if he wants to be another Maaya Sakamoto (only he'd be a male one) then go him.

haha, maybe he'll do some voice acting next! okay... I'm done. too much computer makes my brain melt.

 

[Xelyna]

I used to think Klaha was a brilliant artist until I heard his solo work... what the hell was he thinking? I sounds like a soundtrack to an anime that no-one would watch>_>;;
Pride of Mind ROCKED, and suited his voice perfectly... Malice Mizer too- it was just too bad they broke up before he wrote a whole album with them. It would have been interesting, especially if they'd done more "Beast of Blood"-type songs.
But I cannot understand his solo work! It doesn't show off his talent at all>_>;; He might as well be singing enka! (He kinda looks like an enka singer now too...)