On the Passing of Shinya
Around the turn of the day today, it was announced that LUNA SEA drummer Shinya passed away on February 17th. He was 56 years old. Diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2020, he continued his battle with the disease through seven surgeries, medication, and radiation therapy while still performing live, but a brain tumor was discovered last summer. He then suspended his activities to focus on treatment and worked hard at rehabilitation, but he was unable to make a comeback. Although I was somewhat prepared for this given the nature of his condition, now that the time has actually come, I am still sad and disappointed, and I have not yet been able to process it in my mind.
The first LUNA SEA CD I ever bought was "SINGLES," released at the end of the members' solo periods in 1997, so the first LUNA SEA song I actually listened to properly was "BELIEVE." Whether you have never heard it before or have listened to it hundreds of times, I want you to listen to this song again. The drum fill-in released within seconds of the intro starting. A phrase with outstanding impact that weaves a glossy tom tone into a wild momentum. At this point, you can feel the worldview of the song "BELIEVE" spreading instantly with a dazzling vividness. And the tight drum sound, directly inherited from his mentor Toru Soul, combines weight, sharpness, and lightness. It has strong legs and charisma, emphasizes a sense of speed by effectively incorporating syncopation, and there is no sign of the meticulousness collapsing even when fills are added. It is a beauty that makes you fall in love with it. Even in "Déjàvu," released a year before this, the brilliance of the tom work, which is more melodic than the guitar in the intro and A-melody parts, and the smoothness that does not get messy even when the number of strokes increases, stand out. Even at the time of his debut over 30 years ago, the individuality of the drummer known as Shinya was clearly outstanding.
The style of Shinya reached its first completion in the well-known masterpiece "ROSIER." The sense of impatience and tension inherent in the entire song is condensed into just two beats starting from two counts on the hi-hat. The persistently repeated syncopation has become firmly established as the absolute basic of visual kei rock, but it should not be overlooked that the groove, which seems square at first glance but is exquisitely bouncy, creates a swell. Even in fast songs, rather than being forward-leaning and impulsive, there is a solid sense of stability. His motto for playing in a band was "drums that don't get in the way of the vocals," but that was far from the word safe. Rather, his strong and vivid skeletal playing was sufficiently iconic, which is why he was able to compete equally with the vocals and the other strong-willed members, further accelerating the ensemble.
And naturally, his mid-to-slow tempo performances are also superb. In "FACE TO FACE," which starts with a powerful strike of a gong in live performances, the broad and dynamic groove can be taken as hard rock, and the high-pressure, precisely square playing can be taken as industrial, but in any case, the intense presence of each and every strike is tremendous, and I am overwhelmed by the profound sense of timing created between the notes. This is also the true essence of Shinya. This keen physical sense is fully demonstrated in "Sweetest Coma Again" and "KISS," which approached mixture rock later on, and all of them are tough and worth listening to. This is likely the reason why Shinya's excellent sense of time, which does not lean too far forward or backward, is always maintained.
I would also like to touch upon LUNA SEA after their revival. Shinya's drum solos in live performances have always been highly entertaining, incorporating various productions, such as the 360-degree rotating drum set at the 1996 Yokohama Stadium concert, and established through call-and-response with the audience. Shinya's playing, where he beats the drums energetically like a tiger with wings, always remained conscious of others, even when he broke away from the song format and became free, and I think he never lost the original heat and catharsis of rock. "Ride the Beat, Ride the Dream," included on the 2017 album "LUV," is an instrumental song completed in a session with INORAN, and it is also a song created with Shinya's drum solo in mind. Although it has been edited in an EDM style throughout, the raw sound pressure is utilized, and Shinya's wild state comes to mind just from the sound, and you can enjoy his bold and delicate touch. Yes, it is very Shinya-like. This is exactly who Shinya is.
To Shinya-san. LUNA SEA would not have become as huge as it is today without you, and I have been excited by your playing and healed by your cheerful character countless times. LUNA SEA should continue in the future, and I believe that your soul will be carried on by many junior drummers, starting with your disciple Jun-ji. I pray for your soul from the bottom of my heart. Thank you very much.