A music review by Just Panda.

Yuffie Sakimura aka Garuda hit back yesterday with her brand new single 支配者 (Ruler), armed with her nailed up bat, this time with added flames. 

With those flames as the opening scene to the MV, our industrial idol is seen collapsed on the ground, her well known plague doctor mask cast aside. Crawling to her knees, a latex- laden Neko is commanding a faceless audience while an industrial metal drum sample builds the pace. Firing at the faceless beings with a pistol full of what appears to be blood, The Neko Ruler shows her dominance, while Yuffie-san’s soft voice is in contrast to both the sample and the visuals, creating a dark blend of sound. 

Garuda continues her struggle to reach her mask as the pre-chorus picks up with an electric guitar sitting high above the heavy drums and synth in the mix. The sound drops as the second verse begins, and the faceless audience dressed from head to toe in white, with no more than a painted smile where their face should be. They begin to circle a fallen Yuffie, her head in hands; she reaches for her mask, this time with success.

As we enter the bridge, harmonised vocals are supported by those sampled drum loops, with a continual build before fading out into a softened melody. Here Yuffie takes control, bat in hand she opens a door to streaming white light before we see our idol stand tall on a stage, surrounded by the faceless audience, now strewn on the floor. Garuda removes her mask and looks ahead, triumphant in this battle. 

支配者 is a fitting title song for Garuda’s first solo album, The Battle of Nightmares, which is due for release next month. It is clear that Yuffie is a master of her craft when it comes to her performance. Both visually artistic and with energy, the dark neo-gothic style of the MV fits perfectly. 

Yuffie and Neko on set

It’s been 3 years since Garuda debuted and 2 years since her first single was released, the EDM heavy Soon To Be Snow (もうすぐ雪が).

During that time she has toured with her idol unit, the idol from outer-space めろん畑a go go (Melon Batake a Go Go), both domestically and internationally. In the spring of 2019 Yuffie, alongside Hanako-San (14th Generation Toilet) and 2& (double and) took the UK by storm on the Indie Idol and Infamous tour, where many a new fan was made. 

This first single sets the tone for the upcoming album, not shying away from her industrial roots it is sure to be a fantastic record. 

To support Garuda https://twitter.com/GARUDA_info

To support Neko https://twitter.com/fettiesNEKO

The following thanks are from Garuda’s twitter.

【🌹New MV🌹】
『支配者』
https://t.co/9Q5JcOttJX

Film legion：武子真幸
Camera：倉林和泉
Cast：
Rulelr▷NEKO
Special Thanks to Extras.

2020/09/04 Release
The Battle Of Nightmares
収録曲