Annie's Black's Lost Album 'departure' Arrives on Streaming
After years circulating only as a whispered legend among Visual Kei diehards, Annie’s Black’s elusive debut album departure finally has an official home—streaming platforms worldwide, arriving September 25th as a carefully timed gift on SARINO’s birthday.
The story behind this release is as compelling as the music itself. SARINO, best known as the vocalist and primary composer for Aioria and the experimental outfit TINC (Shelly Trip Realize), launched Annie’s Black in 2009 as a solo vehicle following his band’s dissolution. The project gained momentum in 2010 when SARINO assembled a formidable lineup—including 舜 (NEiN, 覇叉羅, the FUZZ), MORI (Wyse), 淳-jun- (Waive), and TAKAFUMI (ex-KING)—to perform at the “LOOP Open!” showcase at Shibuya O-EAST. Together they completed departure, but SARINO gradually shifted his focus away from music toward entrepreneurship, allowing Annie’s Black to fade into obscurity without a formal farewell.
The album’s resurrection comes courtesy of producer 未散 (Mishisan), head of the LOOP ASH label and a figure central to SARINO’s early career. When 未散 himself stepped back from the spotlight in May 2026, he orchestrated a one-night Aioria reunion as part of his farewell—finally giving SARINO the formal closure he’d never received. That gesture sparked something: recognizing that departure remains essential to SARINO’s musical legacy, 未散 arranged this streaming release as the ultimate tribute.
In reflections shared with the label, SARINO describes departure as his “purest” work—born from post-TINC burnout and existential despair, yet uncompromising in its artistic vision. The album’s opening track, “departure,” channels the resolve of a ship setting sail despite uncertain seas. The haunting “amid the despair” captures SARINO at his lowest, while the ballad “if…” represents what he calls a “perfect 100-point” composition.
Today’s SARINO is entrepreneur Ogino Masanori, running two companies and reshaping Harajuku’s cultural landscape—but this album proves the artist never truly vanished. Catch departure on all major streaming platforms beginning September 25th.