Dum Spiro Spero - Part II

Yes

Second post in and I'm already turning predictable. You're going to learn and learn fast that I love this band. However, I swear to you that they won't be my only topic. They'll just show up a lot.

Either way, it's not my fault that Dum Spiro Spero has more than one disc to it that are worth noting. Since disc 2 is more of a grab bag of tracks, I'm going to cover each individually instead of as a whole like I did with the first one. There's logic behind this, just go with it.

Rasetsukoku

It's been such a long time since I listened to this song that I had to go back and re-listen to the original. In the last two years, I've become less sentimental about their old stuff. I rarely listen to it anymore. I'm not sure why that is. When Uroboros was released, I sat down and decided to re-introduce myself to what Dir en grey once was, so I listened to all seven albums back to back. I wanted to stab a pencil through my brain when I was done. That could have something to do with it... 

 

But that's something I'll save for another day. Maybe. If I feel like it.

 

Back on topic: Rasetsukoku's remake doesn't surprise me. It's like when they redid Zan, I suddenly realized "Oh wait! That's what it was suppose to sound like!" Unlike Zan, Rasetsukoku wasn't ever this weird track that stuck out like vampire at a mid-day pool party. When you put it up against the other tracks on the album like myaku, [KR] Cube, and Berry, it's in pretty good company. I'm pretty sure they could get away with remaking all of MACABRE without many problems (Can you imagine Shinya playing a redone version of Macabre? Because I want to...). It serves as this odd reminder that they've been headed in this direction musically for awhile and we never should have been surprised to begin with.

Amon (Symphonic Ver.)

So Amon's the one they added violins to? I've been wondering which track it was for weeks (remember: been listening to this in my car). I've always enjoyed when they do symphonic or unplugged versions of their songs, but I'm not sure if the contrasts the "symphony" provides is welcome or not. It rides this weird line of sounding a little cool or really hokey. It certainly adds.... flavor. I just don't know what kind. How I feel about this song just seems to change on an hourly basis.

Ruten no Tou (Unplugged Ver.)

Remember when I said I enjoy unplugged versions? I enjoy this. Not as much as I enjoyed some of their past ones, but I do enjoy it. I don't flip flop over this as much as I do Amon, but compared to let's say... the unplugged version of Namamekashiki Ansoku, Tamerai ni Hohoemi, this one comes up a little short. Part of what I like so much about Ruten no Tou is it's weird teetering between being quite beautiful and almost uplifting in parts to burying itself into usual Dir en grey chaos to the point it's almost a little unsettling. Stripping it away to leave just Kyo and a piano, it almost loses it's effect. The piano provides almost unnecessary polish to the emotion, and it can't quite rip apart the serenity of the chorus the same way.

Diabolos (Demo 2010, Short Ver.)

 So... it's essentially the same as the album version, just half the length. It's Dir en grey - fun sized.

"Akatsuki (Demo 2010)"

It's a little different, but the song in itself is hard to keep in my head, so I can't remember it enough to actually compare the two. I think the one on the album might have more actual words.

So that's where the second disc ends... oh wait. No it's not. That's where the second disc would usually end, but Dum Spiro Spero is different from the last two albums in the fact that it keeps going to the point its almost the length of the actual album. With what, you ask?

Everyone, I would like to re-introduce you to Dir en grey remixes.

Remember the last time they did this?

 

The burning... it's still there.

Actually, the last time they featured a remix was on Drain Away, but that doesn't really help matters much. Those remixes were pretty bad too.

Oh, and Wikipedia tells me which band member did what remix. The horrible feeling in my stomach... it won't go away.

The Blossoming Beelzebub (Remix) - by Kaoru

I've been trying to figure out what joke to go with on this one since I first heard it. The instrumental isn't necessarily horrible. It's got this "I'm locked in a malfunctioning escape pod and am about to be swallowed by the abyss of space" kind of vibe going with it. It occasionally trips over itself, but it almost kind of adds to the whole feel.

And then you have Kyo's voice.

I can't decide if this escape pod is filled with water now, just for the danger of it or if Kyo's voice has been eaten by a midi player. Remember when the internet was new and all you could download without taking an entire month were those small little midi files that were scattered everywhere? And every so often, there would be a converting error where your computer didn't quite have the same sounds as whoever made this and so the missing instrument got replaced with one of the many godawful reverbs that would blare in and ruin everything?

It's kind of like that.

"Yokusou ni Dreambox" Aruiwa Seijuku no Rinen to Tsumetai Ame (Remix) - by Toshiya

Okay, so this almost makes me want to take back all the jokes I made about Dir en grey remixes. Almost. If Wikipedia is to be trusted, then Toshiya's making up for the weird Luau-inspired hack job he did to Taiyou no Ao way back when. It doesn't feel so overridden with effects that the song is completely lost. It's actually got some good elements to it. It seems some of the most successful Dir en grey remixes have that same kind of clanking sound that makes me think of an industrial warehouse - and look what we have here - clanking sounds. And why are baby giggles so creepy?

 

Shitataru Mourou (Remix) - by Shinya

So... I should have guessed that this was done by Shinya, but since it doesn't sound like elevator music, I must have completely ignored the other signs. The rhythm of the song is really weird and sporadic, stumbling on itself like it's running down a steep hill with a lot of rocks. And instead of shoving Kyo into an underwater escape pod in space, he's now being smothered with a plastic bag behind giant, fast moving fan blades.

You should really be a bit more gentler to your vocalist, guys.

Akatsuki (Remix) - by Die

Wait... this song's shown up again? Really? How has this song creeped up on me three times and I've barely noticed it? And in all respects, I should probably be paying attention to it, because I feel like it might end up lying in wait in my bushes, ready to attack me with Kyo's eerie shifts between deep chanting to falsetto and then some weird level in between. The remix sounds like it's been ground up and shoved into a church organ that's inexplicably placed in the middle of an industrial park. And there's a circus. With really creepy clowns. That will eat you.

Decayed Crow (Remix) - by Kyo

So while Akatsuki is stalking me, this track is trying to be the uncommunicative boyfriend. "What are you doing?" "Where are you going?" "Did you just look at another woman?" "Why do you have that butcher knife?" "I thought you were right handed." "You don't tell me anything!"

And then there were bees?

And I can't explain any of it.

 

So why would I spend the extra money for an extra disc that was only okay in most respects?

 

I've got this on the DVD:

Between this and the studio shots for Vanitas. Totally worth it.