Aicle. - Que sera:sera

Oshare kei band Aicle.’s trademark mix of bubblegum pop and grotesqueness is presented clearly in its latest release Que sera:sera. But is this odd combination of concepts a mistake, or is it the start of a new art form?

Aicle.’s title track Que sera:sera gives the listener a taste of what the band is famous for: combining calming pop tunes with heavier rock elements. The song begins with a quick vocal introduction closer to the classic by Doris Day than a typical Aicle. song - sweet, childlike vocals beckon listeners into a sense of tranquility, and then quickly awaken them with a full-on explosion of pounding drums, heavy guitar and an overall disconcerting, but at the same time exhilarating feel. Que sera:sera continues with this intertwining of the weird world of Aicle. and fairytale innocence. Emiru tries a higher pitched take on his vocals, which works to his advantage, giving another dimension to the song. The song is extremely fast paced and the instruments work well together; Rubi’s guitar solo is particularly complex and helps show that even though the band is slightly childish and surreal at times, the members of Aicle. are still skilled musicians. By the end of the song, the listener will be overwhelmed by the band’s exciting, post-modern sound.

Aoiro Ichigou is not as high energy as the previous song, and instead conveys a different feeling altogether. It has definite pop elements and a very catchy base, however, this doesn’t stop the band from adding traces of heavier oshare kei. The guitar, as always, is very complex, and there are plenty of times in this song for Rubi to show off his talents. Emiru’s vocals adapt to the slightly electronic feel of this song well, but can be overshadowed by the rest of the music to an extent.

Ansatsu -ANSATSU- immediately strikes the listener with a distinctly eerie vibe, with chilling sound effects and whisper-like vocals. As the song progresses, there is a slightly asymmetrical quality to the music as the pace switches regularly, however, the foundation of the song remains steady. Midway through, a sparkling sound is introduced, and it surprisingly matches the heavier rock base. Emiru’s vocals, though, switch between lullaby-like sweetness and unsettling eccentricity.

Aicle. continues to release new singles that surpass the previous ones by miles. Both their take on visuals and music is something that has to be seen to be believed; the sense of strangeness that is felt is perhaps only the listener’s attempt to comprehend the depth and radical new thinking that Aicle. so obviously displays. Aicle. is bringing something completely new to the genre and strikes the perfect balance between creating otherworldly concepts and still producing perfectly well-rounded songs. "What will be, will be" may be true, but Aicle. certainly isn’t taking any chances in securing its place in the competitive world of oshare kei.