Band 3470.mon, pronounced “Sayonara Monday”, formed by vocalist Taira Kazuhiro whose previous bands include My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND, and LACK-CO., to name a few, abruptly dropped their 0th EP titled VHS on August 2, unironically on a Monday via digital distribution platforms.
What’s more, they also revealed the music video for Akuma-kun with its chill, dreamy synths, psychedelic funk, and just as psychedelic visuals in its music video. Just as a warning, there are flashing lights in this music video so viewer discretion is advised.
Akuma-kun presents the band members filtered in black and white while they perform with violent flashing behind them. From there, it becomes increasingly more abstract with liquified animated images, visuals of religious paintings, and various other scenes. The religious iconography is prevalent hereβfrom the cross around Taira’s neck to the hand gestures symbolizing the sign of the cross.
Featuring a mysterious blue drink that is passed to those that Taira interrogates in a cellβthis same drink is shared joyously amongst the band members. The color of blue slowly creeps in and eventually consumes the video, drawing on the psychedelic effects of consuming the blue liquor. Contrary to the lively jubilant vibes, the drink only catalyzes a tragic circumstance which we will not spoil.
The band also uploaded the full music video for Junketsu-san that sees some of the previous support line-up performing on a rooftop. This is another song that features on the EP.
The release compiles all five of their songs initially released on made-to-order Music Cards otherwise known as M-Card’s. What’s more, each song name is unusual and has a suffix at its end, for example, Junketsu-san, with “junketsu” meaning purity or chastity in English and another is Genkaku-san, with “genkaku” meaning hallucination or illusion.
The EP is composed of songs that could only be brought forth by Taira himself and perfectly captures the jazzy style that the vocalist is best known for. It successfully weaves upbeat and lively songs with slower, more soothing tracks, but overall, it’s chill, feel-good music that you can relax to. The music evokes feelings of wanting to take a night drive somewhere far before settling down for the night while smoking a cigarette and wearing a beige jacket and aviator glasses.
3470.mon is a project started by Taira in summer 2020 when it was previously known as Sugoi Hitotachi (Kari). Between autumn 2020 to spring 2021, songs Junketsu-san, Speed Ihan-san, Genkaku-san, Yofukashi-san, and their respective music videos were all released on Music Cards through OZ WORKS Online Shop.
Also around spring, the project welcomed bassist RENA of CRAZY PUNK KID and formerly of THE BLACK SWAN and keyboardist SYUTO of LAID BACK OCEAN as official members. Then there are the support members consisting of John, formerly of ZERO MIND INFINITY and Sel’m, and drummer Hyu-ga formerly of AVANCHICK who has since supported many bands over the last few years.
Despite the visual kei origins of most band members, the songs on this EP are definitely not far off from the music Taira was singing to in some of his previous bands so VHS seems like a natural progression.
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- Speed Ihan-sanγΉγγΌγιεγγ
- Genkaku-sanεΉ»θ¦γγ
- Yofukashi-sanε€ζ΄γγγγ
- Akuma-kunζͺιγγ