The first in Alice Nine’s current consecutive release period is Daybreak, released March 20, 2013. The title track is composed by Tora who put much consideration into the range of the vocals as detailed in a recent radio talk show—how best to make Shou’s voice sound best. As Alice Nine’s first release in 2013, the group has matured from previous releases by experimenting with a range of genres outside the confines of the visual kei world.
On the first listen, Daybreak is very surprising. A fluttering dance beat bounces in the background but the track is very much rock-orientated. Daybreak paints a scene of the breathtaking moments before a sunrise and can be very motivating.
In a recent interview surrounding the release of Daybreak, Shou described the B-side Himitsu as a track that isn’t RnB and is “gross.” On the contrary, Himitsu is a low key number with just a touch of inspiration from RnB. It sounds like conventional J-pop in the first 30 seconds before turning into rock--a rarity for Alice Nine. Shou even raps! So, don’t take Shou too seriously—it’s not “gross” at all but very much experimental with other genres.
Included on SAGA’s Daybreak is a live version of Q. from the Alice Nine Live 2012 Court of ”9” #4 Grand Finale COUNTDOWN LIVE 12.31. It’s rather nostalgic to hear Q. performed over six years later, and equally amazing to see and hear how far the band members have grown musically since their early visual kei days in 2004.
The release of Daybreak marks a new era for Alice Nine. The five recently moved to a new label, NAYUTAWAVE RECORDS, under Universal Music. Perhaps now Alice Nine's releases might come out on a far more regular basis, or they can pursue overseas activities.
