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Albums that carried out an orchestra performance of the music from X Japan were released several sorts during the past few years. Those albums don’t have any connection with Yoshiki - the composer, even though it’s exceptional for this short period of time, that already a few CDs with this idea got released, it’s just a very natural way of thinking to manufacture such CDs, since Yoshiki started out as a classical pianist when he was four years old and is very familiar with classic music and has an according background. Many kinds of CDs got released that were completely unrelated to Yoshiki, not considering that it hurts him as an artist since he had no input in it at all.

Yoshiki said that his music is not bound to a genre, and that there is no label that should limit him either. He took the best parts of each composition, selecting very carefully, while thinking that it is a pity that various companies put the other parts (which do not fit in perfectly) on the market. Therefore, independently, what existed until now is merely a good work, which has no relation to him whatsoever, even though it is not too bad because it contains a few interesting arrangements. But this time he selected the music personally, flew to London and arranged the music himself.

This orchestra with a tradition of over 60 years and outstanding performances has an amazing reputation and they’re not willing to play a work until they give their ok. Yoshiki thought that he would run into negotiation difficulties. The leader of the orchestra listened up when the staff explained that Yoshiki produced the classic anthology album “Yoshiki Selection”. An album like this would usually not sell more than 5.000 copies, while “Yoshiki Selection” had sold over 100.000 CDs. That’s when Yoshiki got an official “OK”. Classic musicians got introduced to young Japanese rock fun, and the team was surprised about the positive feedback they got about Yoshiki who uses classic as a big base. With that way, his melodies were able to make the walls of two entirely different music genres collapse.

The event “Yoshiki Talk Live” performed in the Nippon Budokan Hall moved him. And it was the video of “Art Of Life” when Yoshiki carried out the piano performance with a full orchestra in the background that convinced him to produce this album. In the moment George Martin sensed the charm of the genre similarity and he had an insterest into the artist Yoshiki and his music, you can say that the musical work of Yoshiki smashed the wall of nationality and the wall of age at the same time, because George Martin was 67 years at this point of time.

When George Martin met Yoshiki in London he said that he felt a necessity that both together realize that project and that it was fate. Both got along great with each other so the compositions were completed with a very good touch. The manufacturing team considerd that realising this project would lead to many difficulties from the start. But it wasn’t like that, because this strong team found together and they wanted to express what people felt because of Yoshiki’s music.

Yoshiki said that this project was not realized only by his power, because there were record companies, the staff of an office and the project truly got realized by the powers of this great team. That’s a wonderful thing that seems to follow Yoshiki. His charm attracts various people and overbears boundaries. Furthermore this album was released by a solidarity of artists who love music and accepted the mutual talent rather than the staff’s zeal and everything.

Even though the orchestra has it’s own technique and a very rich expression and the tunes were re-arranged, the original melody did not get lost and is still the center of the piece. That was the very moment when Yoshiki’s belief that “there are no restrictions or a rule in music, not a wall of a genre, etc” was realized. Yoshiki himself wrote the exquisite arrangements that are piercing through all the songs. While listening to the sound that flows into the mixing room he turns page after page of the not less than about ten pages covering music sheet. His eyes are following each line of the score, his feet tapping slightly along with rythm.

Once the rehearsals were finished, he changed arrangments on several places. Of course all conversation in the meantime was in English. When the second rehearsal was finished, Yoshiki turned around to George Martin who was in the mixing room. You could tell from the expression on Yoshiki’s face that he was convinced about the reliability of all the artists gathering in this place and that he was really glad to work with them. His look was telling “Ok” and in the next moment his lips were forming the word.

The smoothness of the work with these first-class artist connected with the common language called music and the acceptance on both sides followed Yoshiki during all the days of the recording. The strong sense of security and warmth on the bottom of this work will be produced from there – a studio where the air is mixed with music and the smell of tea and where special music terms and jokes about the sufficient elegance style of England are flying around.

Listen to this work and get to love the music, see how it implies your thoughts that it’s the wonderful music made from X. The listeners of this album are equivalent to the many persons who attended the birth of this record. If the music stabs your heart in this form and is attached to it, this moment will turn into a prove that it’s really an “Eternal Melody” more splendidly than any language could be.

Yoshiki was sad when the time of seperation in London came, but with the comfort of having carried out his language, Yoshiki smiled like a mischievos child when he said that this is the prologue of his solo project. Although he cannot say that yet, since various things are running prallel to it and are still progressing now.

Note: this is a translation from the cd booklet so there could be some misunderstandings in it.