Response: SPECIAL RANK: KANNA SEKIYAMA
This marks the first time I've written a response blog to a FIFTH DREAM PARALLEL release!
There's quite a few things to discuss about this release, which is why I decided to write this one in lieu of the release of ETERNAL EVERLASTING f.
Primarily, the subject of the titular character in this song: Kanna Sekiyama. Some of you may recognize this name from the cast of PARANOIA FUTURE_DATA, and for the longer-term listeners, the name SYSTEMATIC VIREMIC REINFORCEMENT might ring a bell.
That's right — Kanna Sekiyama, the very same one who controlled the outbreak of the many personalities you faced during the 2018 Komorebi City ARG. By association, the very same SVR. Let me start with a proper introduction.
Kana Sekiyama — a human woman, tasked by the Artificial Intelligence Bureau before her memories were wiped, is a technological genius who helped design the very foundations of modern techology as seen within the confines of PF_D. Though she is 23 during the events of that story, she is only a young 17 years old during ETERNAL EVERLASTING f (which takes place 6 years before PF_D). Like the rest of whom you are familiar with, Kanna too is Alyssean and resides within Requia City as a government hire. Within, she held the title of Special Rank — only given to those very, very few who the leadership determine are skillful and intelligent enough to be used against what they decide are great threats.
Kanna was meant to be the final stronghold against the greatest threat seen in the digital realm in over 100 years — of which she held the title in the first place, 100 so years ago — but Reisz's sheer rage of laying dormant, being left behind, betrayed... to say the least, her sheer determination and willpower led her stride.
Fundamentally, Kanna fails her objective to withhold Reisz within the digital realm — inevitably breaking out to take part in the story of VIVARIUM — and as such, Kanna is removed from her position as SVR and discarded.
In the prologue of PF_D, where you watch Rei Aoyama fleeing with Rena Mikazuki in arms, the narrative briefly follows the breakout of the other subjects held by the Project Dreamless group, Kanna Sekiyama included. Like the rest, her memories were wiped, and she was forever changed...
Onward to the year of 2570, Kanna Sekiyama would yet again meet Reisz as she founds the VDIAT (Viremic Dedicated Investigation Assault Team) as a subsidized government group, where Reisz personally picks Kanna Sekiyama to work with her on closing in on Project Dreamless remnants to resolve their lives. Though, working for the government that created the very trauma that warped you doesn't like to work for the best.
Thus concludes our summary on Kanna Sekiyama and any spoilers for the future of the story. There's not much more, so let's get into the production of this release.
In case it's not immediately apparent, SPECIAL RANK is a modulated version of MOON LIGHT RECLUSE from earlier in the album. Unfortunately, that means there isn't a crazy amount to show off of early progress as this version was conceptualized very quickly since all the music was already written. Though, this being said, it wasn't intended to release on the f version of the album originally.
At the beginning, it was made to be much less hardcore-esque and more like a epilogue to a final conflict.
In fact, for most of the time I'd been working on it, the whole song was practically just the section of wall-of-sound until I started doing more work on the VIVARIUM soundtrack. Finally, the bass glitch section was put in, which enticed me more towards making a proper release for it.
I think a cool piece to add is that I wanted to fill out a more atmospheric background to this one, so I actually borrowed the synth stack I used on the arps in Morning Flower to add a little sparkle.
Anyhow, that's where I'll conclude it here. I hope you enjoy SPECIAL RANK and the final single, which will release alongside the expanded ETERNAL EVERLASTING f.
Thank you for reading!
