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From hard-hitting tracks like “Pristine” to bouncy pop-rock numbers like “Praise”, they will leave you thinking that their music is anything but “fake”.

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Fake?

The Art of Losing Touch

Review by: Mimi P

J-Pop Album

Company: Tokuma Japan Communications

CD Length: approx 67 min

Rated: PG (Suggestive themes)

EXTERNAL EXAM

Ken Lloyd and Inoran are back with 15 pulse-pounding songs in “The Art of Losing Touch”. From hard-hitting tracks like “Pristine” to bouncy pop-rock numbers like “Praise”, they will leave you thinking that their music is anything but “fake”.

FINAL EXAM:

Fake? is a fairly new band to come around the j-rock scene. The group consists of Ken Lloyd (former lead vocal of Oblivion Dust) and Inoran (former guitarist of Luna Sea). Oblivion Dust was a pretty popular band in the underground music scene before they disbanded back in 2001. Luna Sea is considered to be one of the most influential j-rock bands of our time. With the combination of Ken as vocals and Inoran on the guitar, you’ve got a band that’s just oozing with talent. The two released their first single, “Taste Maximum”, early 2002 and an album a couple of months later titled “Breath In”. In less than three years, the band has managed to produce three full length albums (Breath In, Tomorrow Today, and The Art of Losing Touch) as well as a mini-album (New Skin).

“The Art of Losing Touch” marks Fake’s third full length album. The band returns giving their fans the same rock goodness that they’re used to. The album faired pretty well when it was released back in June. Anyway, I should start giving you my review now.

Best track

“Pristine” has to be my favorite if not one of my favorite songs on the album. It will be the heaviest rock number that you’ll hear. When I first heard it, I had this Linkin Park vibe. Perhaps it’s from the musical arrangement done on this track, the song starts out hard and heavy with the occasional use of synthesizers or mixers in the background.

Worst Track

“Stitch Frequency” is a techno-like interlude. There’s nothing really special about it. I consider it a skip track.

Perfect for Fans of:

The Pillows, Glay, Tokio

After hearing my first Fake? song, “Into Everything” (from their first album, Breath In), I was hooked. It was the first time that I’ve been exposed to Ken Lloyd’s work. I was so impressed that I even went as far as checking out Oblivion Dust. With that, I was really excited when I found out they were coming out with a new album earlier this year.

Did it live up to my expectations? Indeed, it did! I can honestly say that besides the interludes, there aren’t any skip tracks. It has those addictive tracks like “Pristine” and “Escape From the Audio Mess” for those mornings that you can bump to while you’re stuck in traffic on your way to work or school. Then there are the happy pop-rock numbers like “Candy” and “Praise” that’ll leave you feeling good. If you want something with more emotion, look no further than the likes of “Redemption” and “Drip”. In addition, Ken’s singing isn’t all that bad. His English singing ability has got to be the best in the j-rock industry if not one of the best. The fact that a majority of songs are written in full English makes it even more appealing to westerners. I could see myself recommending this band to my friend even if they’ve never listened to j-music. The arrangements reminded me of some of the bands I’ve listened to and grown to love over the years. Overall, it’s a well-rounded album that fits all aspects of the theme of “losing touch”.

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