Kirito – PERIOD

PERIOD, released on September 20, 2006, is the result of Kirito’s collaboration with Tokyo New City Symphony Orchestra. The single commemorates two lives of the former PIERROT vocalist which took place on September 30 and October 1. The lives were part of the annual concerts in which the aforementioned orchestra - under the baton of Ikuro Fujiwara - plays with popular musicians.

The title track is kept in the style proposed on Hameln: it combines typical rock instruments with an orchestra. The song begins with a gentle orchestral intro in which the violin stands out, and Kirito’s vocals perfectly adjust to it. The rhythm section and guitar appear only at the end of the first verse, playing a vigorous, energetic chorus. It doesn’t mean that the orchestra quiets down; it only pales in insignificance, creating a clear background for the rest of the instruments. At the end of this nearly seven-minute-long song, the music calms down again, fading slowly until only the guitar remains. Generally, the song sounds pretty optimistic, but somewhere in the depth there is a little bit of sadness – possibly because of Kirito’s way of singing or the orchestra’s participation.

The next track, EXIT (Orchestra Version), is a new version of a song well-known from Hameln, and the orchestral arrangement creates quite a sublime mood. It begins, like PERIOD, with a delicate intro and strong piano, but – in contrast to its predecessor – it lacks guitars, drums and bass. After the gentle introduction, wind instruments take up the main melody and a gong emphasizes certain phrases. When Kirito begins to sing, the music decrescendos a bit, becoming the background. It becomes louder during the chorus, which ends with a string motif. In the final seconds, the music slowly fades and then piano can be heard clearly.

The single is completed with instrumental versions of both songs that allow in-depth views of their beautiful melodies. These two tracks are very interesting, and the absence of the vocalist doesn’t create a sense of lack.

After listening to PERIOD, you may come to conclusion that recording this single was a very good move. Kirito’s voice mixes with an orchestra’s sound in a very intriguing way, and the songs' slightly changed arrangements gain new expression. It is regrettable that the whole album wasn’t released, but for those who want more, there is always the live DVD Symphonic Concert 2006 EXISTENCE PROOF “RE:PARADOX”, which contains Kirito’s performance with the orchestra on December 1, 2006.