D’ESPAIRSRAY’s new single, RAPTURE, set to be released on May 13th (2026)
D’ESPAIRSRAY will release their new single RAPTURE on May 13, 2026 — their first new music in approximately 16 years, following LOVE IS DEAD in April 2010. If you need to catch up on how we got here, our exclusive interview with all four members is on the site — the first interview they gave since their reunion (here). The live report from their sold-out return at Zepp DiverCity Tokyo on May 4th, where RAPTURE was performed live for the first time, has also just been published (here). The archive stream of the live is available until may 11, 2026.
As for the single, the artwork was created by art director Koji Yoda — a name immediately familiar to anyone who follows Japanese rock closely. Yoda has been the visual architect behind a significant body of DIR EN GREY’s catalogue, bringing a dark, sculptural, and conceptually precise aesthetic to some of the scene’s most iconic releases. His involvement here is not a coincidence. The visual that frames D’ESPAIRSRAY’s return carries exactly the weight it should. For this release, the band handed Yoda full creative control over the art direction — with one exception: the keyword “rapture” itself. Note that the single is a five-track CD single featuring the title track alongside vocalless, guitarless, bassless, and drumless minus-one versions — an unusual but thoughtful choice deeply appreciated.
⩺ AVAILABILITY
CDJapan
Tower Records
HMV
⩺ IN-STORE EVENTS
May 17th — Tokyo, Tower Records Shinjuku 9F (TSUKASA absent) (JP)
May 30th — Osaka (JP)
May 31st — Nagoya (JP)
⩺ TOUR
B7KLAN J-ROCK FEST — July 12, Paris (FR)
D’ESPAIRSRAY Fan-Club Only［un］Beautiful — September 9, LIQUIDROOM, Tokyo (JP)
D’ESPAIRSRAY LIVE 2026「CLIMAX」— December 30, KT Zepp Yokohama (JP)
* details to be announced
D’ESPAIRSRAY | D’ESPAIRSRAY has found the light on their way back home!
Mandah FRÉNOT
(c) VMJ
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⩺ OFFICIAL WEBSITE | HERE
⩺ OFFICIAL INSTAGRAM | HERE
⩺ OFFICIAL X (ex-TWITTER) | HERE
⩺ OFFICIAL YOUTUBE CHANNEL | HERE
