I’ve loved Hyde ever since I first heard the song 花葬 on Youtube from L’arc en ciel and I’ve followed him ever since. I kinda prefer his music with L’arc but I still love a lot of his solo music like Midnight Celebration 2. I haven’t really heard Vamps music, I need to give it a chance but I’ve been trying to catch up on a lot of L’arc music. Oh I also love L’arc’s Joujushi (the regular ver and instrumental)
I was really looking forward to him continuing what he left unfinished in 2021. Let’s see how the next album turns out, but I think it’s going to be a 10/10.
The song is better than the awful one when he was on a tricycle in the MV, but I still think his solo career overall lacks something and always has done, hate to be a bit negative. Hyde or the one who writes his songs lacks the talent to write really memorable bangers and hits. Ill say the forbidden words - he needs Tetsuya & Ken. Its crazy how many classics they pumped out during Laruku’s peak. Turns on *Dive to Blue* 
But of course hoping the album will be good, look forward to give it a try!
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If he needs Tetsuya to make songs like “YOU GOTTA RUN” or “FOREVER”, he’d be better off sticking to making music with The Last Rockstars, honestly.
Yes, L’arc en ciel creativity is already finish since a long time
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He needs someone like K.A.Z again, INSIDE was fun but nothing unique. Jekyll should be interesting. He should work with Jordan Fish, maybe something fun will come out of it
I completely agree with this. Tetsuya and Ken really made L’Arc and Hyde who they are today. As an aside, Tetsuya grinding the band to the point of breakup in that 98-00 period really paid off financially and creatively. They can all do whatever they want (Ken does nothing now) because they were so insanely popular and lucrative then.
Musically, Tetsuya brought the sugary bubblegum pop aspects to the band. Ken brought the anthem level rock riffs. Hyde without those aspects just falls flat. Heck, even Tetsuya’s solo work by itself is too bubblegum and missing that Ken edge. Likewise, Ken’s solo work from a long time ago was missing that pop quality Tetsuya has innately.
And I should not forget Yukihiro who brings a fringe electronic element and knowledge that elevated L’Arc’s electronic aspects better than any random producer brings as seen on many Hyde solo tracks in recent years.
So I find L’Arc’s output in the last 15 years is just a business partnership between the 4 of them which leads to tracks the are essentially solo songs with each other guesting on them with the producers trying to their best to give it that L’Arc shine.
And with Hyde’s new solo, I think he was saying at his recent live that he has been trying to write Roentgen 2 these past years so maybe there’s hope Jekyll will turn out better than most of his recent stuff.
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https://x.com/summer_sonic/status/2024318030227046436
L’Arc at Summer Sonic.