Our evolution is accelerating.

In evolution there is a "missing link."

For instance, even though humans think themselves the lord of creation and treat the earth as their domain and do as they please, we do not know why, although the sea gave birth to all living things, mammals looked towards the land. We also do not know the definitive point that separated humans from apes. Was it an intense environmental change or perhaps an intense desire?

I suppose that we are now, witnessing the "missing link" of a new life form.

There were two souls. They met. Their thoughts ripened and soon those two souls began to aim for a common destination.

Yuna was known as a solitary vocalist on the independent scene. His were a piercing voice and a naïve sensibility. But it was not his wish to remain aloof. He simply could not find anyone who shared the thoughts that he put into his songs. Seven years ago he met Sugizo through an acquaintance. As soon as they met they opened up to one another. They spoke of music, of world affairs, of astronomy, of breathing exercises, of private troubles. Even though his age was a little different from Sugizo's and they were born in different places, when he was with Sugizo, the conversation did not stop. It was wondrous. So seven years passed and fate planned an even more wondrous event.

Sugizo. From live houses to the Tokyo Dome, he made a name for himself as a guitarist and composer for the rock band LUNA SEA and on all fronts repeatedly destructed and reconstructed his approach to the media and his musical work. It has been full of ups and downs. As he tumbled through that he gradually realized something. It's rock that satifies my ego. If I'm going to rebel against an era it should be with rock and roll. No, in rock and in music there should be a larger mission. And then in 2004 he resolved to aim for a new type of evolution. Yuna... He was "The voice of my heart" for which Sugizo had been searching.

A unit formed to traverse an empty space. They called themselves "The FLARE."

It is the erupting energy of the sun, a sun that had created the earth and created life. It is the urge that drives them to desperately want to create things and communicate things for as long as they are alive. Those thoughts they had had a hundred thousand times, they entrusted to one another's art.

Yuna says:

"Precisely because this is an era with much darkness I want to sing songs that have light. If positive songs can reach everyone then there will be more smiling faces. If there are more smiling faces then a happy energy will spread out like waves and at last return a positive energy to the this planet called the earth and to the universe. If that happens the people of the current era will for the first time have meaning in their life on this earth, I think."

Sugizo says:

"No matter how many things you have, you will not acquire true happiness. I have at last understood this. That is why I want The FLARE to start from a minimalist, primitive place. As far as the sounds goes I am exacting but the melody and what I want to communicate are fundamentally simple and unpretentious. I think that our mission should be attempting to discover how much a new world of sound can be created by beginning with things that can be sung to a child."

These two have made grand plans.

They don't think it is possible to quickly change the world with their music. They don't intend to think something that mistaken. But they would be happy if, when the people who listen to their music now have children and those children turn thirty, they create a new vision for the world. It is not like the "Apollo Project," but perhaps it might be called the "FLARE Project."

This might seem like a foolish project of Don Quixote or it might be seen as the daring of Neil Armstrong. That depends on the reader.

Either way, it is a fact that this ship christened "The FLARE" has sent out three probes to the sun. I am currently waiting in front of the receiver with sweaty palms to see what kind of images those probes will send back.

(By Yasuyuki Kami)

Sugizo:
My musical journey continues.
To make a long story short,
I am now standing with a new partner
At a new starting line. In order to confer a more beautiful Important message I will do this! I want to live with everyone.