MALICE MIZER is a legendary Japanese visual-kei rock band that existed from August 1992 to December 2001.
On this website, you can find a full release database of MALICE MIZER and the bands related to them.
On these specific pages, you’ll find a discography listing the main audio releases.
MALICE MIZER’s seventh single, and fifth and final major record label single. Just like ‘ILLUMINATI’, this single is a re-release of a song that was already included earlier on the ‘merveilles’ album.
Contrary to the all other MALICE MIZER singles before, this one does not contain a “B-side”, or second song. It just contains an instrumental version of the song as a bonus, but these don’t count as B-sides, as usually there is both a B-side and instrumental(s).
While the version of the song ‘Le ciel’ on the ‘merveilles’ album contains just synthesizers, band instruments and vocals, the single re-release contains a beautiful and rich orchestral arrangement, with real symphonic instruments and field recording sound effects instead of synths. It is more intimate and subtle.
The theme of the outfits accompanying this single and music video is the colour white. In Japan, white is the colour of death. So in the music video, the band members are angels of death, that follow a little girl to her impending doom. It is beautifully done.
Other than the piano solo ‘regret’, this is the only other track that Gackt composed for the band. Even though the total sales of this single was lower than the four other singles of merveilles, its initial sales were so good that it became the highest-charting MALICE MIZER single of all time, reaching a top spot of number 4 on the Oricon charts.
It gave Gackt the chance to extensively appear in the media alone, without the band, which increased the distance between him and the band, which ultimately lead to him leaving the band, as it was now proven he’s also an amazing songwriter.
Title: Le ciel～空白の彼方へ～
Romanised: Le ciel ~Kuuhaku no kanata e~
Type: Single
Release Date: 1998/09/30
Price (with tax): 840JPY
Catalog Number: CODA-1617
Label: Nippon Columbia / Maitrize
CD placed in a cardboard 8cm CD sleeve which folds open many times showing photos of the band members.
