This dropped a few days ago, but it was simply too good to let slip past the radar. Shoegaze idols RAY, (Successors to the now-legendary group with no with no real name save for a row of dots) are still not a year old, but have already made a huge impression with a dose of effortless charisma and incredibly strong musical collaborations with top-tier talent.
Their first EP release “Blue” was a near-perfect collection of songs that revealed a sky’s-the-limit potential. We’ve been treated to MVs for “Butterfly Effect” and “Meteor”, and now there’s a more low-key video for the closing track, “The End Of The World With You”…
https://twitter.com/_RAY_world/status/1230809425134227457?
As the tweet above explains, this MV offers us a retrospective of the group’s upward trajectory since their inception, including most notably their acclaimed show in Taiwan. Let’s have a look!
It’s just what you’d expect, a fun and exciting behind the scenes look at RAY traveling, performing, eating, bonding, y’know, doing idol stuff! One thing that gives RAY something of a leg-up on the dearly departed Dot-chans is being free of the challenges that came with a group maintaining a mysterious air of anonymity. We get to know Yua, Norimaika, Sayaka, and Tsukihi in a much more personable way and that’s ultimately a better plan for the idol business model. These ladies are just terrific, and seeing them cavort and have fun as they explore the possibilities offered in this journey gives one a warm, joyful feeling. (Which is a fascinating juxtaposition to the heavier melancholia of the actual song.)
And what a song!! Holy heck I love that opening riff and the way it sort of fakes you out before the song takes off. This tune sounds amazing at high-volume, so make sure you don’t just watch this on your phone, for goodness sake.
And you know why the song is so darn good? Because it’s written by Hata Yusuke of cruyff in the bedroom, veterans of Japan’s highly-lauded shoegaze scene. These sonic technicians have always been on point, so of course this song roars as much as it soothes…
I’m really looking forward to another release by RAY, and I’m especially hoping we can get a full album from them this year possibly. If not, that’s okay too though, music this good is worth the wait. Just keep these RAYs shining on us, please.
