This Armor

ROLLIN'

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic piano / drum programing / keyboards: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic and electric guitars / pedal steel: Takashi Nishiumi
• Bass: Hitoshi Watanabe
• Tambourine / triangle: Ikuo Kakehashi
• Background vocals: Chihiro Onitsuka, Takefumi Haketa, Takashi Nishiumi, Toshiko Ezaki

When Oni decided on this title, she was hinting at role playing games. Although she came to be aware of the spelling mistake before This Armor's release, she stuck to the first inspiration and did not change the title.

[2003-05-07]

茨の海 - Ibara no Umi (Thorny Sea)

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic piano / keyboards: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic / electric guitars: Takashi Nishiumi
• Bass: Hitoshi Watanabe
• Drums: Tatsuo Hayashi
• Percussion: Ikuo Kakehashi
• Tin whistle: Mari Yasui
• Cello: Hiroki Kashiwagi
• Background vocals: Toshiko Ezaki
• Drums technician: Atsuhiro Murakami (NASH)

A song with a very Japanese taste. The theme for a theatrical film Gunjo no Yoru no Hane-mofu.

[2003-05-07]

シャドウ - Shadow

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic piano / keyboards / programing: Takefumi Haketa
• Udu / talking drum / bell: Ikuo Kakehashi
• Cello: Hajime Mizoguchi

This is an old piece, nearly as old as Gekko. Here Oni sings of an abyss of despair. Hard-core fans would love it, according to Oni.

[2003-05-07]

everything, in my hands

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic piano / drums programing / keyboards: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic / electric guitars: Nobuyasu Horikoshi
• Bass: Hitoshi Watanabe
• Violins: NAOTO, Osamu Iyoku, Takuya Mori, Kouta Nagahara, Machiya Saito, Ado Matsumoto, Etsuko Hara, Ikuko Nakaya
• Background vocals: Chihiro Onitsuka, Takefumi Haketa, Takashi Nishiumi

Harsh and desperate words hidden under a pop guise — "I don't want to be like you... / I only wish for a wall against which I could crash and let my blood spout from my body".

[2003-05-07]

Our Song

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• English lyrics: mayu
• Acoustic piano / pad: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic / Dobro guitars: Takashi Nishiumi
• Djembe: Ikuo Kakehashi
• Cello: Hiroki Kashiwagi

All words are written in English. Used in a Japanese television commercial for Nestlé Brite creamer.

[2003-05-08]

流星群 - Ryuseigun (Meteor Swarm)

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic piano / keyboards / programing: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic / electric guitars: Takashi Nishiumi
• Bass: Hitoshi Watanabe
• Drums: Hideo Yamaki
• Percussion: Ikuo Kakehashi
• Harp: Tomoyuki Asakawa
• Violins: NAOTO, Ikuko Nakaya, Yu Manabe, Jun Tajiri, Ado Matsumoto, Hitoshi Konno, Koji Ohtake, Shizuka Kawaguchi
• Violas: Gentaro Sakaguchi, Shoko Miki
• Cellos: Masami Horisawa, Toshihiko Tsuchida
• Background vocals: Takefumi Haketa, Takashi Nishiumi

Intended to be the sequel to "infection". A song with "slightly feverish temperature" as Oni calls it. The theme for TRICK 2 television drama series.

[2003-05-08]

LITTLE BEAT RIFLE

Single version

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Piano / keyboards / rhythm programing: Takefumi Haketa
• Guitars: Takashi Nishiumi
• Bass: Hitoshi Watanabe
• Percussion: Ikuo Kakehashi
• Background vocals: Chihiro Onitsuka

Album version

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic piano: Takefumi Haketa
• Background vocals: Takefumi Haketa, Takashi Nishiumi

Two versions are available that sound very different from each other. The single version was used as an ending theme for a television program.

[2003-05-09]

Arrow of Pain

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Electric guitars: Takashi Nishiumi
• Percussion: Ikuo Kakehashi
• Background vocals: Takefumi Haketa

[2003-05-09]

infection

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic piano / keyboards / programing: Takefumi Haketa
• Gut guitar: Kiyotsugu Amano
• Timpani / suspended cymbals / percussion: Marie Ohishi
• Harp: Tomoyuki Asakawa
• Violins: NAOTO, Osamu Iyoku, Marisa Kosugi, Yu Manabe, Hiroki Mutoh, Yu Sugino, Ado Matsumoto, Mariko Aikawa
• Violas: Kaori Banba, Shoko Miki
• Cellos: Hiroki Kashiwagi, Akio Ueki
• Contrabass: Hitoshi Watanabe

Oni considers this song as a counterpart to "Ryuseigun". She pictures "pieces of blasted heart" (sung in this number) coming down as a meteor swarm.

[2003-05-08]

CROW

• Music and lyrics: Chihiro Onitsuka
• Arrangement: Takefumi Haketa
• Acoustic piano / tubular bells: Takefumi Haketa
• Wurlitzer / Hammond B-3: Hiroshi Sato
• Acoustic / electric guitars: Takashi Nishiumi
• Bass: Hitoshi Watanabe
• Drums: Yuichi Togashiki
• Percussion: Ikuo Kakehashi
• Background vocals: Chihiro Onitsuka, Takefumi Haketa, Takashi Nishiumi, Melody Little Bears

The core of the album This Armor. Oni admires crows for their dignified attitude. Since the message of this song is "get out of your armor," you may think this album was titled after the lyrics of this song. But it wasn't. The title of this album had already been determined by the time of INSOMNIA's release.

[2003-05-09]