Es VOL.40 编辑部专栏: 关于 GARNET CROW 解散

●○ From music freak Es Vol.40

GARNET CROW
BEST ALBUM RELEASES 5.22 & LAST LIVE ANNOUNCED!!

On March 30 at Tokyo Dome City Hall, GARNET CROW announced that they would disband after the concerts scheduled for Tokyo in May and Osaka in June. Many fans must have been shocked by the sudden announcement and still be unable to believe it. Speaking for the editorial department, I cannot deny that I am honestly devastated by the fact of their “disbandment.” Since before their major-label debut, we have followed every aspect of their activities through release introductions, live reports, event reports, and countless interviews. We have also been fortunate to work with them for so long through the column series that ended last month.

However, YURI NAKAMURA, who announced the disbandment on behalf of the members on March 30, spoke with a clear, decisive expression: “We have given everything we had as GARNET CROW.” Immediately afterward, voices from the audience cried, “No way,” “I don’t want this,” and “Please don’t stop.” Yet when we saw the members’ faces, which showed that they had done all they could and were completely satisfied, applause arose naturally. Their call—“We want to have fun and make the last live exciting together with everyone, so will you please come and join us? Will you help us make it a great night? Let’s enjoy it together!”—was met with warm cheers and wholehearted applause. They did not say much, but the four people standing on that stage radiated something like an absolute, unshakable will.

The four members of GARNET CROW—YURI NAKAMURA, AZUKI NANA, HIROHITO FURUI, and HITOSHI OKAMOTO—debuted as a creative group whose members each handled composition, lyrics, and arrangement and had already earned high praise before their debut. In their early years, their activities centered on creating and releasing music, and they did not perform live or appear on television. But after audiences witnessed the polished stagecraft, powerful singing, and outstanding musicianship of their first live in 2002, they continued to call for more live performances. Concerts gradually became a regular part of their work, and television appearances increased as well. Even as their schedule grew busier, however, the heart of their work was always production. In an earlier interview, Nakamura told us, “Just as it is natural for an office worker to go to the company every day and do their job, it feels natural for me to go to the studio and record every day... That is my everyday life.” A recording staff member once told me that the booking calendar for the studio owned by their record company was filled with the name GARNET CROW on nearly every day except Saturdays and Sundays, as if to prove her words. It is no ordinary achievement for artists to retain their creative drive and the ability to keep generating ideas for songs without ever losing their desire to make music. Over those long thirteen years, how many days and hours did they spend in the studio? How many songs did they create while living immersed in music? When I think about it that way, I can imagine that they have cultivated a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction far beyond anything I can comprehend.

Whenever we interviewed Nakamura after a new work had been completed, she often spoke of “a comfortable feeling of release, as if there were nothing left inside me, as if all the drawers were empty.” In interviews, I have always felt that Nakamura is deeply knowledgeable about music and possesses an exceptionally disciplined, uncompromising approach to production, backed by an extraordinarily strong will. Anyone who listens to the work of AZUKI Nana, Furui, and Okamoto will likewise hear how sincerely and rigorously the three of them have continued creating music. And then came the decision they made immediately after releasing the album “Terminus,” whose title means “the terminal station.”

There is no question that the new album “Terminus” is a masterpiece into which GARNET CROW poured all of its appeal. Its quality is so high that the words “We have given everything we had” become immediately convincing.

And now... Thinking back on the magnificent performance at the recent [GARNET CROW livescope 2013 ～Terminus～] while listening to “Terminus,” I feel that we should positively accept the goal that they themselves chose for GARNET CROW and support the four members as they take their new paths from here. After the disbandment announcement, we received many messages from readers about it. Almost everyone expressed the same feeling I have: “It is sad, but I want to support them wholeheartedly until the very end.”

In what form will they convince us that this decision, ours as listeners, was not a mistake? I believe the last live will provide the answer. Let us go to the venue and find out. And so that we have no regrets, let us enjoy with all our hearts, together with the members, a GARNET CROW live that we will never be able to see again!
　　　　　　　　　　(TEXT BY YUKARI MATSUBARA)

PERFECT SINGLE COLLECTION TRACING 13 YEARS OF HISTORY THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ANNOUNCED!!

BEST ALBUM “THE ONE ～ALL SINGLES BEST～” SET FOR RELEASE ON 5.22!!
The complete singles collection, containing all 35 songs from their debut through their latest single, is coming out! This is a permanent keepsake that traces GARNET CROW’s thirteen-year journey through every single. We will bring you a feature with full details about this release in next month’s issue. Look forward to it.

“THE ONE ～ALL SINGLES BEST～”
GZCA-5253–5255　2013.5.22 release　￥3,780 (tax included)

※All tracks remastered.

【GARNET CROW livescope ～THE FINAL～】ANNOUNCED!!!

■Friday, May 24, 2013　Tokyo International Forum Hall A (Doors 18:00 / Show 19:00)
■Saturday, June 8, 2013　Osaka International Convention Center, Grand Cube Osaka Main Hall (Doors 17:00 / Show 18:00)
■Sunday, June 9, 2013　Osaka International Convention Center, Grand Cube Osaka Main Hall (Doors 15:00 / Show 16:00)
◇Ticket price: ￥6,500 (tax included / reserved seating)
※Doors and show times may be changed for any performance.
※Children under six will not be admitted.
◇General ticket sales begin: Saturday, April 27, 2013
◇Inquiries about venues and general ticket sales
Tokyo performance: Disk Garage　　　TEL: 050-5533-0888
Osaka performances: Sound Creator　　TEL: 06-6357-4400