KILLANETH was a relatively short-lived project that gained traction within the realm of ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) relatively quickly, so it came as quite a shock when the band announced their upcoming tour would be canceled as a whole and the band itself would disband on top of that.
Vocalist 丐 (Kai) and drummer 39 turned out to still be on speaking terms with one-another, as quickly after KILLANETH’s official disbanding date word started to reach the internet about a new project featuring the two members, this time named “TRNTY D:CODE”. The project saw it’s debut in April of 2017, but for everyone following from outside of Japan it was a lot of mystery, since the live performances that were played by the group had no coverage for foreign fans.
The first thing overseas fans could see and hear from the group was the announcement of the very first single “GRAVITY”, which saw it’s release on January 31 2018. Along with the announcement of this first single it was also announced that two new members would be joining the lineup: “SHiO” (formally known as KAI when he was still a part of LOVE LOCK) as a guitarist and “MST” (formally known as miki when he was still a part of THE DC) as a bassist. Additionally 39 would be changing his name to “saku” and his position of drummer was changed to manipulator.
Last but not least, the band is signed to the KEIOS ENTERTAINMNT label, which was brought to Japan from Sweden by it’s owner YOHIO, who you might recognize as part of the overseas ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) inspired scene through his work with both Seremedy and now DISREIGN.
With that mountain of information out of the way, let’s get into the single itself, shall we?
GRAVITY
(Words: 丐 (Kai) / Music: SHiO)
Due to the track record of both the vocalist and drummer-I mean manipulator- you probably have some kind of an expectation regarding what the sound of this group is going to sound like. Well, you can push those expectations aside, because while 丐 (Kai)’s vocal style is familiar, the approach is completely different due to the addition of manipulation and programming into the group’s work.
The group combines elements of rock, metal, hiphop and programming to one complete package within “GRAVITY”, but relies heavily on the unique, programmed sound with also returns through the use of autotune for 丐 (Kai)’s voice. The combination of these elements fits the style of “GRAVITY”, but with 丐 (Kai) as a vocalist it is more a shame that autotune is being used in this song than it is a fun addition.
The music video for the song takes place in an outdoor set and paints a simple picture regarding the looks and overall feel of the band’s sound, but also gives the impression that it’s trying to appeal to the visually oriented audience rather than adding the vision of the members to what this song could be interpreted as.
No PAIN No GAIN
(Words: 丐 (Kai) / Music: SHiO)
The second song of the single continues the theme of the first song, but adds a heavier vocal style due to screams and grunts that we didn’t hear in the first song. This style is combined with a more melodic style throughout the song, creating a faster-paced song that confirms the group’s style is based on the programming and manipulation-foundation we heard in the previous song already. The rather abrupt ending does confirm one thing: “no pain = no gain”.
喰row
(Words: 丐 (Kai) / Music: SHiO)
Just like the other two songs on this single, it’s a collaboration between the vocalist and guitarist, meaning the entire single is created by these two members entirely. However, unlike it’s two predecessors “喰row” (Kurow) is a real rock-ballad type of song with a higher tempo and a calmer vocal presence. The use of programming and autotune is a feature in this song, rather than the main act like it was in the title song. It combines the “typical” sound of ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) with the world that is unique to TRNTY D:CODE through it’s use of programming and manipulation. Additionally, it’s also the most cheerful song on the single.
Conclusion
“GRAVITY” is both familiar territory due to the previous works of the members, but it’s also a completely new playing field for both them and the listeners. Overall it’s a fast-paced single which tries to combine different styles to find the middle ground that they feel is the description of “TRNTY D:CODE”.
If the programming and manipulation aspects don’t appeal to you then this single probably is not the single for you, since the music video for “GRAVITY” paints a pretty good image of what you can expect from the single as a whole. One amusing point to mention is that all of the members have admitted that they’re not fans of the ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei) industry music wise, but they do like the fashion that this scene has created. Something that clearly returns in the music video for “GRAVITY” as well. The fashion might just be the reason that they’re somewhat shoved into the genre of ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei), but at the same time they try to create an entirely different sound with their music. Probably to get rid of the label that was immediately slapped on their work when the visual aspect was revealed? What do you think?
Release information
Are you interested in supporting the band by getting your own copy of the release? Here is something to get you started:
 (Limited edition) | 01. GRAVITY 02. No PAIN No GAIN 03. 喰row (Kurow) DVD 01. GRAVITY (MV) |
 (Regular edition) | 01. GRAVITY 02. No PAIN No GAIN 03. 喰row (Kurow) |
Artist: TRNTY D:CODE
Release: GRAVITY (single)
Release date: January 31, 2018
CD number: KEJCDS-1 (Limited edition) / KEJCDS-2 (Regular edition)
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雪 (Yuki) is the owner and driving force behind Arlequin.
She originally started the project in 2009 as a photographer under the name of Arlequin Photography, but developed an interest in journalism and translation ever since. Because of these interests interviews and reviews were added to the project, until it eventually hit the limits as a "photographer" in 2021, and Arlequin Magazine was added to the mix.
雪 (Yuki) is a native Dutch speaker with a graphic design degree, which means she is also the main person behind Arlequin Creations.
After all these years she is still the main person who does interviews the interviews and live photos that you see on Arlequin, but also a large chunk of the reviews and behind-the-scenes work and communication goes through her.
She speaks Dutch and English on a native level, but also understands Japanese and German.