Hane
| Hane | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Koshi Inaba | ||||
| Released | January 13, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | 2015 | |||
| Promotions | #1 (Detective Conan) #3 (Ryu ga Gotoku Kiwami) #4 (Godan) | |||
| Length | 18:11 29:08 (Limited Edition DVD/Blu-ray) ??? (Ryu ga Gotoku DVD/Blu-ray) | |||
| Label | Vermillion Records | |||
| Producer | Koshi Inaba | |||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Cover to the deluxe Ryu ga Gotoku CD, DVD, and Blu-ray edition. | ||||
| Koshi Inaba singles chronology | ||||
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Hane (羽, Feather) is the fifth physical and ninth overall single by Koshi Inaba, released on January 13, 2016. Its revealed came on November 23, 2015 during an event for the HMV-sponsored radio show Happy Hour! on InterFM897. Fans were invited to observe as Koshi participated in a live interview where the title song for the single was first heard by the public. The song fuses his signature rock sound with a Eurobeat foundation for a song unlike any of his past work. At the event, it was revealed that the song would begin serving as the theme to the popular anime series Detective Conan beginning January 9. This would be his second solo contribution to the series after "Overture" was briefly used as an ending theme in 2002.
The existence of the single came following the announcement of a new solo tour entitled Koshi Inaba LIVE 2016 ~enIII~. Plans of a solo project came to light even earlier, however, when it was revealed that Koshi would be providing the theme song to the latest Ryu ga Gotoku video game (localized as Yakuza in Western territories) which would become known as Ryu ga Gotoku Kiwami—a remake of the first game in the series for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
The single was announced with three different versions available across various formats: a CD only edition, a limited edition with previously unreleased concert footage from earlier dates of Koshi Inaba LIVE 2014 ~en-ball~ available on either DVD or Blu-ray, and a special Ryu ga Gotoku Kiwami-themed edition that does not feature the normal limited edition's contents and instead replaces them with an interview with the game's director and a music video for "Receive You ［Reborn］"—a remake of a song featured in the Ryu ga Gotoku franchise. The latter edition comes packaged with both a DVD and a Blu-ray, though the contents are the same and are provided in both formats as a convenience. Notably, this would be the first Koshi Inaba or B'z single or album to be issued in DVD and Blu-ray limited editions simultaneously. Prior to this single, the bonus discs for various singles and albums for both acts had previously been issued only on DVD.
On December 25, 2015, Koshi appeared on Music Station to perform "Hane" in full for the first time, with once longtime B'z support member Akihito Tokunaga joining him on bass who also contributed heavily to the four track single. Tokunaga was responsible for collaborating on all four songs' arrangements while playing bass, along with contributing guitar, keyboards, and mandolin to varied tracks. Simultaneously, the B'z YouTube Channel was updated with a two minute music video featuring Koshi against a white backdrop as an animated story plays out in numerous segments.
Koshi made a further television appearance for a two hour special broadcast of the variety show SMAP x SMAP that was hosted by members of pop group SMAP. The show typically features a guest artist that is interviewed by the members before joining them on stage for a collaborative performance. Koshi appeared for a brief discussion with the group before a performance of "Hane" in which SMAP provided occasional backing vocals. Takuya Kimura of the group is known to be a friend of Koshi's, who previously appeared in the 2000 television drama Beautiful Life for which B'z single "Konya Tsuki no Mieru Oka ni" served as the theme song.
Track listing
- Hane — Feather, 羽
- File:i17 01.ogg A unique entry in Koshi's solo catalogue, the song begins with strings atop a Eurobeat-style backing until later transitioning into a rock song with strong guitar sound provided by LOUDNESS guitarist Akira Takasaki. Koshi noted in his InterFM radio interview announcing the single that he went into the studio with the intention of recording a standard rock tune, having pre-composed the song on an acoustic guitar in order to establish its overall framework. However, as he was working with once frequent collaborator Akihito Tokunaga, they experimented with a number of different sounds with a synthesizer until dance elements started making their way into the arrangement. This began with the intro but culminated in the Eurobeat-infused approach eventually encompassing the first half of the song. Originally, Koshi expected the song to be a ballad, but once he got in the studio it quickly morphed into what can be heard on the single. Ultimately, Koshi was very pleased with the result and described the creation of the tune as a "really fresh experience".
- Symphony #9
- File:i17 02.ogg A medium tempo song that was described in the initial unveiling as "opening with a very emotional voice", the song was the last recorded of the four that make up the single. The uptempo track is a rock song with a synth backing that is incomparable to Koshi's past solo output.
- BLEED
- File:i17 03.ogg A song written for the video game Ryu ga Gotoku Kiwami, the song begins with an acoustic guitar and piano intertwined before eventually adding electric guitar and drums.
- Suiro — Waterway, 水路
- File:i17 04.ogg A soulful ballad that begins with piano, acoustic guitar, and a string section, the song was written for the WOWOW drama "Godan". As he often does with his solo compositions, Koshi had written the lyrics prior to the music (a practice known as "shisen", or "lyrics first", in Japanese). The track runs for nearly five and a half minutes, making it the longest on the single. Of the song, Koshi was quoted as saying: "I painted the main character of the song as a person who believes in tomorrow and tries to do something with his life, although he regrets his past and is in fear of loss amidst the two views on passing time: flowing time and accumulating time. I'm looking forward to hearing it in the drama."
Limited Editions
| DVD / Blu-ray Editions | Ryu ga Gotoku Edition |
|---|---|
 The DVD and Blu-ray bonus discs in the primary limited editions include six previously unreleased performances from earlier showings of Koshi Inaba LIVE 2014 ~en-ball~. The performances were not included on the tour's home video release as it captured only the tour finale in full.
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 The special Ryu ga Gotoku themed edition contains both a bonus DVD and a bonus Blu-ray in one package. The DVD and Blu-ray both share the same contents which differ from those of the primary limited editions.
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Personnel
- Koshi Inaba: Vocals, Lyric Composition, Music Composition, Arrangement
- Akira Takasaki From LOUDNESS: Guitar (TRACK 1)
- Akihito Tokunaga: Arrangement, Bass, Guitar (TRACKS 2, 3, 4), Acoustic Guitar (TRACKS 1, 2, 3), Mandolin (TRACKS 2 & 3), Keyboards (TRACKS 3 & 4)
- Yoshinobu Ohga: Guitar (TRACKS 2 & 3)
- Shane Gaalaas: Drums (TRACK 1)
- Masayuki Muraishi: Drums (TRACK 2)
- Hideo Yamaki: Drums (TRACKs 3 & 4)
Production
- Hiroyuki Kobayashi: Recording & Mixing
- Hideyuki Terachi: Vocal Direction