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Well... I think Kagrra, were the first band to start mixing traditional elements with visual kei. They already did this lightly when they started out as an oldschool band called CROW. Miyavi was still in Dué le quartz back then, if I remember correctly. I don't think either that traditional elements are overused, at least not in visual kei. I guess you can get the impression that it is because some japanese bands like to put a bit of their local melodies and instruments into songs, but that doesn't really qualify as folk or traditional japanese music. It would just have the same effect as american rock bands using some country elements in their songs or German groups having a bit folk/Volksmusik qualities... Let's not forget that visual kei comes from Japan, so having a bit of influence from the music and fashion of your home country isn't so unlikely for them. In my opinion the non-japanese music trends, most who started to become a fad in the US and european countries, are much more annoying. I am not saying that all western music sucks and is a bad influence (it sure is not! We have some great artists and musicians), but Metalcore, Nu-Metal, Techno-Pop and other related things that are trendy now are much more overdone in Vk by now. This type of bands outnumber all the traditional and folky visual kei bands easily. I guess we have different opinions on D's work also. But at the moment their music videos really stand out. I am not a fan of action honestly. In visual kei PVs it would maybe even be out of place. That now depends on your definition of action, Umi_Niwa. I also think Ds PVs are really more about the fiction and portrayal of their current song or band concept than the band and Asagi. He is just the main protagonist. That's not so different from Malice Mizer's PVs and that's why I like them. Your video can have good effects, nice visuals and put the band into the spotlight, but it is all about balancing. As I have said: overdoing in one category, especially the special effects, can ruin everything. It's right that this is not a visual kei-only issue. I think music video's have lost a lot of creativity not only because of new technologies. But the big era of music videos is over, I guess. MVs aren't that important to a musician or group as they have been back in the day when music channels liek MTV prospered and still played mainly music. We live in very different times. The internet made things cheaper, more accessible and faster. Music videos just don't appeal so much this day, where I can just download the songs I like to have, store it on two or three devices, where I have another 10 thousand music files. Music videos are nice to look at, from time to time. But the impact isn't the same. I the past people went crazy for the Michael jackson videos you mentioned, My mum even owned a VHS with the full Thriller MV plus Making off and the casette wasn't cheap. How many people would pay over 20€ to get a VHS with one single music video today? Today PVs are simply what it says on the tin: promotional videos. Nice to look at and they should make people eager to buy the single or album or the special edition which comes with the vid. But most PVs can't really stand alone for themselves anymore. @Hyura I wanted to put Vidoll's Chocoripeyes too, but forgot XD It's actually funny how Kisaki's label made a transgression from super low-budget, cheap and crappy handcam videos during matina times to Undercode's decent and funny PVs in the early days... and then followed the trend of other labels with their generic "band poses around with lots of closeups and nice effects" videos. Okay, Phantasmagoria's vids weren't masterpieces either... especially Kami Uta, which is a good example for CGI-overload. Vidoll's first PVs were rather meh, typical late matina style. But during Undercode they had such nice PVs... I also like Fstein to M. Doesn't really have a story at all, but the style is so reminiscent of early 2ks visual kei videos when they were heavily inspired by Dir en grey's freaky videos like Zan. You had those fast cuts, gory scenes and the topic of insanity or mental breakdowns. Kinda miss that. Well... Kagerou's early PVs remind me of that, but their later ones are good too. Not typically Visual kei as they started to grow out of it at the end. This one has the typical Zan-inspired freakiness plus fast cuts and singer Daisuke being weird. In that Pv I like the setting. The band also had a few landscape PVs too that I like. Can't find a decent quality of Zetsubou ni sayonara, but that video features an urban setting and I just like the way it is made.

ex-Soarr members new band "7th clover" will hold their first live at 7th clover / yazzmad / rummy 3-man live "My Bloody EVE" at Higashikouenji 20000V at 2013/07/09 "7th clover" members: Vo.Shou (ex-ルシア(lusia)-->Moderato-->Soarr) Gt.&Key.&Prog.淳(jun) (ex-Crescent-->虹色真珠(nijiiro pearl)-->glitter-->MayDay-->次世代エキサイト(jisedai excite), monot。。。。。n。-->Soarr, now in the Mouse) support Dr.上村隼人(kamimura hayato) (ex-ガネーシャ(ganeisha)-->KLACK-->Soarr(support)) http://7thclover-online.net/

Lol I half-expected Kiyoharu and Hyde to appear there when I read the title. Ryuichi Kawamura should be there too tbqh, and Atsushi (considering they're friends, amirite, no?)

What a nice thread! Like most people I'm more drawn to 'classic' pvs, especially the elaborate kind with lots of image scenes and drama. Sometimes 'good looking band playing the song' works great, but most of the time it's cooler when they actually thought of ways to illustrate the lyrics and the emotions in the music. Some that just came to my head and haven't been posted yet are Chocoripeyes by Vidoll Curse by La'Mule Something New, Somebody New by Kiyoshi http://youtu.be/OLxcc6iaYGA 道の空 by Psycho le Cemu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKZOmBLAx0Y Cage by Dir en Grey muddy cult by nega 月下の夜想曲 by malice mizer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoErMPWFH4c I could go on forever, but I don't.

Jackman live-distributed self-cover CDs "歌ってみた(utattemita)" will be released at their one-man live tour "暴走(bousou)" as follows: 2013/08/10 Shinjuku RUIDO K4 [track list] 01.新、五右衛門(shin goemon) (みけ(mike)) 02.メリー(merry) (Yu-ta) 03.LIVE Maniac (ROI) 04.Azu special track 1 2013/08/18 NAGOYA HOLIDAY NEXT [track list] 01.マイン(mine) (Yu-ta) 02.江戸を斬る(edo wo kiru) (ROI) 03.偽我(giga) (みけ(mike)) 04.Azu special track 2 2013/08/30 OSAKA MUSE [track list] 01.ZERO-saiki (ROI) 02.残機∞(zanki∞) (みけ(mike)) 03.すいすい(suisui) (Yu-ta) 04.Azu special track 3

[track list] 01.avenir 02.Answer 03.ヒカリ(hikari)

I agree with Arithmetica. Sure, there have been tons of bad PVs back in the day as well... I'd say the difference in awfullness lies in the technology. In the 80s and 90s the crappiness was thanks to low-budget, lack of talent and the movie being shot with a cheap cam. Today the equipment may be better- but an overdose of CGI and computer effects can ruin it and make the video look cheap too. I like D's PVs for being a good example what good PVs are made of: great scenery, lovely details and great costumes. Most of their PVs tell stories as well so it's not just the band posing around. I could compare D to Kiryu too considering that most of their PVs or outfits are colourful (maybe not as vivid and flashy as Kiryu's). I really like the way they work with different concepts with both music, video and the visuals (clothes). In my opinion that's what visual kei originally was all about and when a band fails at that their PVs might not be so interesting (at least to me). I totally agree with anyone who says Dir en grey's PVs are fantastic. Though I can't really get myself into the music videos they have been producing a while... I don't know why, but their recent PVs didn't fascinate me as much as their older ones did.

Hehe yup XD this is from a few days ago...I herp till I derp a lot :w:" yahhhhh one eyes like WAH but the other knew where to go lol xD also I look tired xD http://25.media.tumblr.com/fe81964235a61664c97f795332d722e2/tumblr_mpjqq6IpS81rl885vo4_1280.jpg

KISAKI From left to right: upper row - no idea, TAKAFUMI (ex-Marvelous Maiden), KANATA (fromerly known as Akito, ex-chariots now in Lin) lower row - SAN (NEGA), MAST (ex-Aliene Ma'riage, now in Lauder), Ray (NEGA), Kyouka (ex-Aliene Ma'riage, Chaos System), KISAKI, REIYA (ex-chariots, now Lin)