Kisaki Project - Shinki

To this day, one of the most cherished releases of Kisaki Project is Shinki. February 2007 marked an important day as Undercode bands Vidoll, Phantasmagoria and 12012 graduated from the company to go major. In their wake, Shinki was their last release, a compilation track from the three bands. The single contained Shinki and its karaoke counterpart, along with a 24-page full color booklet with signatures and messages from each member of all three bands.

Shinki begins with relaxing bell chimes before going into a strong symphonic opening. The vocals are shared by all three vocalists, starting with Wataru of 12012 before transitioning to Riku of ex- Phantasmagoria. The song maintains a slow beat to draw out the emotions and focus on the heart wrenching vocals before kicking off its first chorus, which is primarily sung throughout the song by Jui of Vidoll. His powerful vocals accent the chorus, merging harmoniously with the other two vocalists. Riku begins the second stanza, followed by Wataru, before returning to the chorus. In the middle, it features a mournful guitar solo that launches the song into one final chorus, in which we hear the despair and sadness in all three vocalists' voices. Despite being a delicate song, it has a lot of hidden power that gives you chills and is a gorgeous addition to the Kisaki Project discography.

Shinki's instrumental partner is a delightful addition to the single. Without the vocals, the gentle melody seeps through and its beauty is radiant. The single would be incomplete without it, and the track closes it out with a sorrowful but complete closure.

Kisaki Project manages to squeeze years of struggles, happiness and family atmosphere between these three bands into one track. While Shinki was a live only single that was sold at the Undercode Graduation shows in Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo, it is a single that, if attainable, is a must for any Undercode collection.