Memory Of A Colour

One doesn’t have to be a translator to grasp the meaning of the song “White Out,” which is sung in both Japanese and heavily-accented English. A stark, sad video painted in gray tones and a somber vibe, the song and direction are perfectly matched with Japanese singer Tetsu (formerly Tetsu69) delivering an artful portrayal of a romantic spurned. Clad in urban distresswear, the singer paces uneasily throughout the canyons of some large city (Tokyo? Paris? London?), pining for his lady-love. Three-and-a-half minutes into the song, Tetsu breaks into a heartbreaking guitar solo that serves as a coda to the bittersweet betrayal that he’s feeling. The story ends tragically, perhaps, for the song’s protagonist, but not so for Tetsu. An international idol with an enormous fan base in SE Asia and most of Europe, the United States is the only world left to conquer for this talented musician. Perhaps it’s time that we had an Asian rock star in the U.S., eh?