Put on your head-banging clothes and grab some raver candy, kids! Black Gene for the Next Scene has returned with the PV for their latest release, Sakuran Trance Destiny. The single received quite a bit of attention upon release and even made it into the Oricon Top 10 Indies Singles. Let's find out if Black Gene for the Next Scene's latest release lives up to the hype.
B.F.N.'s last single (Namida-kHz) was a well-written, well-executed hit. It was simple, catchy, and fun to listen to. Sakuran Trance Destiny is nothing like that release, and I mean that mostly in a good way. This song does not try to be another catchy hit, rather, it shows off the full range of Black Gene for the Next Scene's musical capabilities, and that range is surprisingly broad. Like B.F.N.'s previous releases, Sakuran Trance Destiny is a blend of fast-paced rock music and catchy electronic melodies. This song adds something new to the mix by incorporating some sounds reminscent of traditional Japan. B.F.N. has abandoned traditional song structure with this song: Sakuran Trance Destiny is essentially a mashup of 6 30-second song samples, all of which work a different part of the band's musical muscle.
It's easiest to view this song as having an ABCDEBF song structure (if such a thing exists). Part A, the intro and first verse, is catchy, fast-paced, and fun to listen to. Part B (the chorus) starts off at an almost-elegant pace before picking up in speed and technical complexity. Part C (the weakest section in my opinion), sports a heavy rock sound that includes the vocalist Ice doing some kind of awkward and slow shout-rap vocalization. Ice is a pretty decent screamer (as can be heard in Doom or Fear Dance); in my opinion it would have been a better choice to put those skills to use in this section. For Part D, B.F.N. changes gears and goes in the exact opposite direction. The guitars and drums take a back seat to heavily auto-tuned vocals and impressively-arranged electronic melodies that would make a rave DJ proud. This is definitely one of the stronger parts of the song, and it shows the massive potential that this band has. Part E mirrors the first half of Part A before transitioning into a fast guitar solo that overshadows the oddly lackluster bass riff that follows. After repeating the chorus for a second time, the song saves the best treat for last with Part F. Black Gene for the Next Scene pulls out all the stops for one of the most entrancing endings to a song that I've ever heard. Soothing vocals, intense guitar chords, and a rapid tempo are overlaid with fast electronic music with a subtle shamisen melody in the background. It all adds up to an intense musical experience that is the best part of the song. I'm convinced that if the entire song had used this musical style it would not only have been their best release to date, but it would also have been a strong contender for the best Visual Kei song of 2013.
The PV itself is a bit of a catch-22 in terms of production quality. It uses extremely high production values and mind-bending visual effects to make up for the somewhat low-quality camera that was used to film the band. The result is a PV that alternates between being a gorgeous collection of ambient visual effects and being a kaleidoscopic remix of a 90's rock music video. Overall it is enjoyable to watch and is every bit as diverse as the song itself.
Overall, Sakuran Trance Destiny is very impressive song that I recommend listening to multiple times to take in all of the different musical styles it uses. It's a little rough around the edges in a few parts, but when you consider the difficulty of creating a song that cycles through 6 completely different musical styles over the course of 5 minutes, it's a miracle that the song is listenable at all. It's important to understand that regardless of whether or not you like it, this a song that Black Gene for the Next Scene needed to release. Sakuran Trance Destiny was clearly not released to boost the band's sales or popularity (even though it has), instead, it seems to have been released as preview of this relatively new band's massive potential. B.F.N. should be commended for resisting the urge to release another safe-bet catchy single in favor of showing off their potential to themselves and the rest of the music world.
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