LUNACY (LUNA SEA) - Lastly [1990 Demo Tape HQ Rip] - Visual-Kei | V系 | SUGIZO | INORAN | デモテープインディーズ

HIYA! Here is my own HQ rip of the demo tape "Lastly" by Japanese visual-kei rock band LUNACY, which would become LUNA SEA after the release of this song. It is from 1990. My copy of the demo tape is a genuine/real/original one, and it was meticulously ripped and remastered, so this audio quality is nearly unbeatable.

The "noise" you hear all throughout the song is actually intentionally put there by the band, it is ambient noise, almost ressembling sea sounds, and gives the song a more intimate, emotional and mysterious feeling. It is not to be confused with tape hiss, which I actually removed from this. I think the addition of ambient noise is genius.

LUNA SEA is one of the most famous visual bands of all time, very close to X or X JAPAN. During their short time as LUNACY, an independent band, they released three demo tapes. After the release of their second demo tape, "SHADE", they got discovered by hide from X JAPAN, who signed them to the label EXTASY RECORDS, which is owned by YOSHIKI from X JAPAN.

To prepare for their debut album under EXTASY RECORDS, they decided to change their name from LUNACY to LUNA SEA. And during one of their final concerts as the indies band LUNACY, they distributed their third and final demo tape, "Lastly", to all whom were present.

Only 180 people were present at this concert (it was sold out though!), which could mean that this demo tape is either limited to 180 copies, or just a bit more.

The combination of LUNA SEA being one of the most famous VK bands of all time, and this demo being so extremely limited makes a real copy of this demo tape just impossible to find. There are maybe thousands of bootlegs, or fakes of it floating around, which have inferior jacket and sound quality.

I cannot believe at all that I was able to get my hands on a real one. I was extremely, extremely lucky.

In this video, I included a photograph of the band during this time, which I scanned from a magazine.

Later, I will upload a rip of "SHADE", also from my real copy of that demo tape. I do not own their first demo tape though, as it is so extremely rare that I have never seen a photograph of a real one... It is said only 100 copies exist of their first demo tape. Truly a "holy grail" of visual-kei collecting. I hope to own it some day.

This song got later rerecorded in 1993 for LUNA SEA's third album, "EDEN", but I do not enjoy the EDEN version as much as this original demo version.

Song name: Lastly
Artist: LUNACY (LUNA SEA)
Demo tape name: Lastly
Release date: 10th of June, 1990
No Label / Catalog Number

Music mainly by INORAN
Music, lyrics and arrangement by LUNACY.

LUNACY / LUNA SEA are:
Vocal: RYUICHI
Guitar: SUGIZO
Guitar: INORAN
Bass: J
Drums: 真矢 (Shinya)