A musical full stop that marks both the end and the eternal
On August 5 of the year 2023, the Japanese music world lost a truly singular voice: ISSAY, the enigmatic frontman of DER ZIBET, passed away suddenly. But his voice — and his spirit — had one more trip to make. Now, in the band’s 40th anniversary year, DER ZIBET will release their final studio album, titled KUTEN～
When ISSAY passed away, he had already left behind vocal recordings for the upcoming album. In the months that followed, his bandmates and close friends and collaborators, including artists from the previous DER ZIBET tribute album, gathered to complete the project, shaping his final messages into what would become the band’s closing statement. The result is not a compilation or leftover collage, but a carefully crafted, fully realized studio album meant to honor ISSAY’s vision and close the curtain with grace. Also, please note that three bonus tracks from the band’s 2008 limited-edition comeback EP reD biteZ are also included, bringing the total to 11 songs.
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Album – KUTEN～
• Title: KUTEN～
• Artist: DER ZIBET
• Release Date: October 22, 2025
• Label: POP MANIA LABEL
• Distributor: Sony Music Solutions Inc.
• Price: ¥3,300 (incl. tax) / ¥3,000 (excl. tax)
• Catalog No.: WAGE-1019
• JAN: 4573572420256
⩺ Tracklist
The following song descriptions are taken from the official press release.
01. Modorenai Jikan no Uzu (戻れない時間の渦 | Whirl of Irretrievable Time)
Even in dystopia, the moonlight shines. This paradoxical opening track pulses with rebellion against the irreversible flow of time, where ISSAY’s voice continues to seek freedom.
02. POISON FAIRY
A glamorous and poetic offering under the moonlight, drawn to the scent of musk. A wounded-winged figure presents Mallarmé’s poetry — a fated, sensuous dance between innovation and myth.
03. NIGHT WALKER
Under a pale moon, languid blues and whispers intertwine. Six strings spin shadows, four strings ripple in waves, percussion pulses, and all voices resonate in a decadent night toast.
04. Loveless Actress
Exotic melodies trace a nihilist’s despair. Like a dream from A Thousand and One Nights — fleeting, cruel, unforgettable. Not lies, but roles we play to survive.
05. Heya no Naka (部屋の中 | Inside the Room)
Even if only digital fragments and his voice remain, ISSAY sings, “Someday, somewhere, I will set off.” The line feels too present, too real — not a prophecy, but a personal truth.
06. Tsuki no Shoukei (月の小径 ～Pray under the moon)
Warm voices rise, guitar lines float like ether, and Mahito’s pipe organ turns into a desperate prayer — one that surely reaches him.
07. Hachigatsu ha Aoi Maboroshi (8月は青い幻 | August is a Blue Illusion)
A summer afternoon, gone in a flash. Listen while sipping melon soda beneath cloud sculptures. Burn this soft, shimmering memory into your mind.
08. Unkai (雲海 ～Sea of Clouds)
If one reflects on the meaning of this “full stop,” it proves something sacred: that this work was finished, released, and eternal. May his soul return beyond the veil of time.
⩺ Bonus Tracks (from 2008’s reD biteZ):
09. 16 byou No Melancholy (16秒のMelancholy | 16 seconds of Melancholy)
A live staple that opened the 2008 EP, starting with HAL’s signature bassline. Original artwork by MAYUMI.
10. Kimi Dake ga Inai Natsu (君だけがいない夏 | A Summer Without You)
A rare sunlit DER ZIBET song built around ISSAY’s expansive vocals and HIKARU’s shimmering guitar. Still, the absence — “a summer without you” — aches.
11. Orokamono No Fune (愚か者の舟 | The Boat of Fools)
We were all aboard that boat — docking in many ports, laughing, crying, living. Now that long journey feels like a dream. “We’ll never forget you.”
Band & Guests
DER ZIBET:
• ISSAY – Vocals
• HIKARU – Guitar, Programming
• HAL – Bass
• MAHITO – Keyboards
• MAYUMI – Drums
Additional Musicians:
• Chu-ya (Allergy, De-LAX, LOOPUS, Far-East Phallus Kicker) – Guest Vocals, Chorus
• Mayumi Chiwaki – Chorus
• MOTOKATSU (ex-The Mad Capsule Markets) – Drums
• JUN (Valentine D.C.) – Bass, Chorus
• Seiichiro Yonezawa – Chorus
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Live Event: 40th Anniversary LIVE～
• Date: October 1, 2025 (Wed)
• Venue: KOENJI HIGH
• Doors: 18:15 / Start: 18:45
Guest Artists:
• Chu-ya
• Mitsu Yoshida (DER ZIBET, Loco-Apes)
• Mahito Fujiwara
• Mayumi Chiwaki
• Ken-ichi (Valentine D.C., VERTUEUX)
• Jun (Valentine D.C.)
• Seiichiro Yonezawa (W.A.R.P., Mother Goose)
• MOTOKATSU (ex-Mad Capsule Markets)
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A Legacy Without Limits
DER ZIBET emerged onto the Japanese music scene in 1985 with their debut single “Matsu Uta”. From the very beginning, the band defied easy categorization — fusing elements of decadent rock, new wave, progressive, and hard-edged romanticism into their soundscape. Led by the charismatic and enigmatic ISSAY, DER ZIBET stood at the intersection of theatrical expression and introspective poetics. His voice — haunting, rich, and alive with nuance — became the soul of the band’s narrative.
In August 2023, ISSAY tragically passed away in an accident, just as the band was working toward their 40th anniversary. While it seemed like the curtain had fallen, the upcoming album, Period, offers something far more profound than a final act. It is not an afterthought or retrospective — it is a work born from intention, completed using ISSAY’s last vocal recordings and guided by the band’s original vision. The title, “Period”, is not a sign of death, but a full stop — a graceful closure. A punctuation mark that honors the end of a story well told.
Please note that in 2021, VMJ had the rare opportunity to conduct what would become DER ZIBET’s final interview — a conversation in which ISSAY (and HIKARU) spoke openly, with characteristic elegance and vulnerability, about his past, life and art. We invite readers to revisit this one-of-a-kind dialogue, now more poignant than ever.
__________________
Mandah FRÉNOT
(c) VMJ
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⩺ OFFICIAL WEBSITE | HERE
⩺ OFFICIAL FACEBOOK | HERE
⩺ OFFICIAL X (ex-TWITTER) | HERE
⩺ OFFICIAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL | HERE
