In December of 1998, Sakito and Ken formed Dué le quartz and played their first live show on February 14, 1999. They recruited bassist Kikasa somewhere in between, then officially added KAZUKI to the mix on March 22 of that year. Ken left the band in May due to musical differences, leaving the guitarist gap to be filled by Miyavi on June 29, 1999 and complete the band's final lineup.
The band opened a fanclub on August 1, 2000 that was called "Baby Merry". They made it big quickly, landing their first one-man live on August 21, 2000 at Shibuya ON AIR WEST. Their first full one-man tour kicked off on May 16, 2001, and their second began on December 4, 2001. The band landed the feature spot in indie publication Expect Rush II, released in March 2002. Their clothing and music style in the beginning was more of the kotekote visual kei style than pure visual kei, but in the end their dressing seemed to calm down - less PVC, lace, and anything that showed more than a few inches of bare skin.
They released a total of 2 demos, 4 maxi-singles, 3 mini-albums, one full album (which was their greatest hits compilation) and few rare CDs, including a collaboration single with Kagrra, and Ash, that you could only buy from their lives. Dué le quartz disbanded in 2002, and they played their last live show on September 22, 2002 at Akasaka BLITZ. They disbanded because Kikasa, their bassist, had plans to leave the band. Later Sakito and Kikasa reunited to form the band 【FIGURe;】 (with KAZUKI occasionally providing session work) and guitarist Miyabi changed his name to 雅-miyavi- and started a solo career.
Monochrome
Dué le quartz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
me and my sister
we crept down like shadows
they¡¯re bringing the moon right down to our sitting room
static and silence and a monochrome vision
they¡¯re dancing around
slow puppets silver ground
we hear a voice from above and it¡¯s history
and we stayed awake all night
and something is said and the whole room laughs aloud
me and my sister
looking on like shadows
the end of an age as we watched them walk in a glow
lost in space, but I don¡¯t know where it is
they¡¯re dancing around
slow puppets silver ground
and the stars and stripes in the sand
we hear a voice from above and it¡¯s history
and we stayed awake all night
they¡¯re dancing around
it sends a shiver down my spine
and I run to look in the sky and
I half expect to hear them asking to come down
(oh) will they fly or will they fall?
to be excited by a long late night
The song Monochrome by Dué le quartz tells the story of two siblings who are awake at 4 am in July of 1969. They sneak out of their room and quietly make their way down to the sitting room where they find that the moon is being brought down for them to see. The scene is described as static and silent and only visible in shades of gray, hence the reference to "monochrome vision." As they watch in awe, they hear a voice from above and realize that they are witnessing a pivotal moment in history: the moon landing.
The siblings stay awake all night, mesmerized by what they are seeing and the implications of the event. The song mentions the end of an age, as if acknowledging that this event marks a turning point in human history. They watch as the astronauts dance around like slow puppets on a silver ground, and they hear the stars and stripes being planted in the sand. The song speaks to the sense of wonder and excitement that people must have felt at the time, as well as the fear and uncertainty that must have come along with such a huge leap forward.
The song carries a sense of nostalgia and longing, as if the singer is looking back on a time long gone that they wish they could revisit. It also speaks to the idea that, in moments of great change and significance, we can feel like mere shadows watching from the sidelines, powerless to do anything but bear witness. Overall, the song captures the sense of wonder and awe that must have come along with the moon landing and the way it changed our understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe.
Line by Line Meaning
it's 4 in the morning July in '69
The specific time and date give context to the story being told.
me and my sister
we crept down like shadows
The singer and their sister sneak down like shadows, implying that they are not supposed to be there.
they're bringing the moon right down to our sitting room
static and silence and a monochrome vision
The event happening is significant and surreal like a dream, with a surreal visual of it being in monochrome and silence emphasizing the weight of the moment.
they're dancing around
slow puppets silver ground
and the world is watching with joy
we hear a voice from above and it's history
and we stayed awake all night
There is a sense of grandeur with the world watching, but they are puppets to this moment, as they are dancing slowly and controlled, and even the voice from above is predetermined as 'history'. The event has a lasting impact, with them staying awake all night.
and something is said and the whole room laughs aloud
me and my sister
looking on like shadows
Even though the artist and their sister are not central to the event, they still watch in the background like shadows, and the laughter suggests a moment of levity among the grandeur.
the end of an age as we watched them walk in a glow
lost in space, but I don't know where it is
The moment signifies the end of an era, and it feels like the world is changing. However, the singer feels uncertain or lost about what it all means.
they're dancing around
slow puppets silver ground
and the stars and stripes in the sand
we hear a voice from above and it's history
and we stayed awake all night
The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the grandeur of the event, the predetermined nature of it all, and the lasting impact that it has.
they're dancing around
it sends a shiver down my spine
and I run to look in the sky and
I half expect to hear them asking to come down
The event is so powerful that it gives the artist goosebumps and makes them feel drawn to look at the sky, as if the moon landing astronauts might be calling out to them.
(oh) will they fly or will they fall?
to be excited by a long late night
As the event is so grand and unprecedented, there is a sense of uncertainty about the future, even as it is exciting to be a part of the moment in the present.
Writer(s): 坂本 美雨
Contributed by Vivian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ah b
I miss th9is band and it is sooo hard finding their stuff -__-. Miyavi should do like a reunion tour
Zezerel Crypt
I love songs like this.
Naomilyatbest
tMonochrome's the best of due'le's songs. love it so much. but couldn't hear the woman's laughter at the end of the song as there was supposed to be.
Carina
Funny how people mostly know them because of Miyabi even though Dué le Quartz was actually one of the best known visual kei bands in their era. All that I see in the comments section under DlQ´s videos is "Miyavi, Miyavi, Miyavi". I highly doubt if any of those people are actually enjoying the music DlQ did, not just due the fandom for Miyabi. Otherwise devastating the bands I so love are disbanded for now. Then again the creation is immortal as long as there´s people who remember.
Camilo Andres Tapia
Yes, it is actually so sad reading comments of people referring to DlQ as “the miyavi’s old band”
Oscar Rivas Flies
i knew dlq before myv as solist (2001), & i like both
Luis Sepúlveda
Indeed, Due'le quartz <3
Angela Raafiki Roadcone
SWING DANCE!
Vrahem
wow arigato *--* I love the ex-band of miyavi :c
Aphrodite
@Ghostcavador D is also a good band.