SOMEI YOSHINO is the new music project of RYU. We know him better from his work with the Visual Kei band OROCHI, which disbanded early this year after an activity of 15 years. SOMEI YOSHINO (ソメイヨシノ) has been officially active since the end of March of the same year, although the band already performed in Laos the month before.
祇園-GION- is the introduction of SOMEI YOSHINO to the public and contains an interesting mix of pop-rock music and traditional Japanese instruments such as the Japanese flute. It immediately gives you a feeling that you are going back in time in Japan. This combination of traditional earlier music from Japan and modern (pop-rock) musician, of course, be heard more often with other bands such as Wagakki Band, but given that RYU and his previous band OROCHI adopted the same concept and therefore performed it in various countries around the world SOMEI YOSHINO seems secretly an extension of OROCHI. Whether SOMEI YOSHINO wants to put more emphasis on traditional Japanese music is still difficult to judge after a video. 祇園-GION- alternates from airy and a calm vibe to a fast pace with cheerful vibes. The band behind RYU ensures that they do not drown out RYU and traditional instruments and are therefore excellent support.
Although the music video consists of a complete band, SOMEI YOSHINO is a solo project by musician RYU. Since he can play various musical instruments, he doesn’t have to be dependent on other band members.
The music video is a combination of band shots in a space of a shrine in Japan in the dark and solo shots of RYU that shows sword and fan arts and shots where he is walking with a young lady during the sakura period. Since the Somei Yoshino is a cherry blossom, it fits perfectly together. In addition, the video is of high quality with sharp images, which provides a perfect introduction for new listeners.
Rating: 80/100
