Music and writing go hand in hand for me. I think there’s a blog post somewhere (unless it’s just in my drafts) about how intertwined Jaded & SNOW are with X’s music.
Likewise, one of my favorite bands to write to has always been Buck-Tick. I’ve loved Visual-Kei since I was in my teens (It IS pure coincidence that Aki’s surname is Sakurai, and that I also have an Atsushi. But I always found it to be a fun coincidence.) , but Buck-Tick was one of the bands I slept on for an unfathomable amount of time. They were always in my periphery, and I heard a song here and there and enjoyed it but I didn’t truly notice them until Kuchizuke came out, and the Razzle Dazzle album has been a staple in my writing bursts since it’s release.
A couple of summers ago, I listened to Sid Vicious on the Beach and 21st Cherry Boy almost on repeat, and they are some of those tunes that just… I can never listen to them just once. When they come on shuffle I have to play them at least twice over, and they make me grin like an idiot every single time.
Change of Heart has become incredibly tied to Buck-Tick (even though observant readers will have noticed that a lot of the chapter titles are actually One OK Rock songs). I don’t know when it happened, maybe it was because I was writing along to their songs, jotting down drabbles and side stories, entranced by the absolutely hypnotic and sensual tones, and Atsushi’s voice.
I just knew that Buck-Tick is definitely one of Noa and Haru’s favorite bands. Time and time again I write scenes where I know which songs play in the background.
My boys have good taste.
I woke up yesterday morning and checked twitter, immediately hit with shock and disbelief that we have lost one of the greatest voices of Visual-kei. Sakurai Atsushi and Buck-Tick have been such a massive influence on the genre, and he’s truly a unique and amazing vocalist.
And to me, he’s been an incredible source of inspiration, a great influence in setting the mood when letting my characters explore their respective worlds.
My deepest condolences to his family, the band and his loved ones.
Thank you so much for everything, Atsushi. Rest in peace.
櫻井さん。ありがとうございました。 ご冥福をお祈りします. ♥
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