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This is some weird adult diaper kink gateway drug and I will not allow my children to view this material

I don't have time to write fully detailed reviews, so I'm just going to share with you my favorite releases and songs from 2016 with short blurbs. Also, these aren't best to least best, they're all equal to me and it'd be pretty hard to choose one over the others so they're not in any specific order except maybe alphabetically. Enjoy and thanks for reading! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ・FAVORITE RELEASES・ 甘い暴力 - 嘘キス Honestly, fucking phenomenal. 10/10. This is the new unit that was formed after the disbandment of 黒姫の夢遊病 and 白日ノ夢. I can't wait for them to release more music in 2017 because this song is lit. ----- AmyDolly - creation Literally disgusted at myself for liking this. There's something super addictive about it even though it sounds atrocious. I just can't get enough. Both songs are cringeworthy yet bangers at the same time??? ----- アンフィル - アクア This is probably my favorite Anfiel song EVER. Shogo's voice is so smooth and sexy like milk and it just flows nicely throughout the entire song. ----- Axkey - アイシア/DAHLIA Both songs are super catchy and the vocals suit the music perfectly. Pretty perfect release to me <3 ----- BLESSCODE - Imperial City I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT WAS POSSIBLE TO MAKE A SONG LIKE THIS. FROM THE CHORUS TO THE SOLO, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT. I THINK THIS WAS THE SINGLE OF THE YEAR THAT I WAS MOST HYPED FOR EVER SINCE I HEARD THE PREVIEWS EVEN NOW WHEN I LISTEN TO IT, I'M STILL LIKE "OH FUCK" The 2 other tracks on this release compliment the single exceptionally. This release is just so well-rounded and hot like fuck omg ----- DECAYS - Baby who wanders More like "Baby who fucks me up" This was a nice surprise this year. I normally wouldn't have given this a listen, but a lot of people were saying such good things about it and I can see why. I can get down with any song that has a violin in it tbh. ----- dexcore - The Dead Sea This was probably right under Imperial City for single I was most hyped for. I'm really not into harsh and brutal vocals, but when they're paired with hot, angelic clean vocals, then I'm into them. The chorus in The Dead Sea is fucking phenomenal. It's also my ringtone. Mistake and Hunger are fucking lit as well. I can't wait to hear more from these guys! ----- FoLLoW - FoLLoW If you haven't listened to FoLLoW yet, do yourself a favor and listen to this album. I know the album art is atrocious but their music is SO GOOD. Ever since hiroki showed me プラネタリウム, I've been hooked. It's a shame they decided to disband. ----- 白日ノ夢 - 白き記憶 I don't even know what to say other than THIS MINI ALBUM IS FUCKING AWESOME. Kou is for sure one of my favorite vocalists and every release is phenomenal. I can't think of one release that I didn't like between Shounenki, Hakujitsu, and Kurohime. 事例03 -策略- from this release is a fucking B A N G E R ----- Kra - 宇宙トラベラー [CELL+CORE] Another band that has yet to release something that I didn't like. While these are 2 separate mini albums, I'm counting them as a whole because they're equally brilliant. Songs like Eclipse are highly reminiscent of Kra's earlier songs and I'm glad they revisit earlier sounds. ----- 黒姫の夢遊病 - リィザ SLEEPING BEAUTY, NIGHTMARE KISS PAINFUL PRINCESS RIZA SLEEPLESS BEAUTY, FEAR, EVIL KISS DARKNESS BEAUTY RIZA RIZA SAVE ME RIZAAAAA ----- 凛 - 「the end of corruption world」 Kisaki pls come back All my jams packed into one release ----- MAN WITH A MISSION - The World's On Fire Whoa... something that's not vk. This is probably my favorite album by MWAM. The first 3 tracks are so explosive that I couldn't help myself but to venture further into the album. ----- ピノキオ - Melancholy box Someone made a status about this album, so I decided to check it out and I was extremely pleased. Pleasant album from start to finish with some really stand-out tracks! ----- RAINDIA - トラッシュジュウス Another release that surprised me this year. I listened to this single on repeat for 4 hours while I was on a plane. I can easily listen to 碧落ノ彼岸花 on repeat all day. ----- RAZOR - RED INVISIBLE After losing interest in BORN in 2012, my initial thought was: "I'm going to hate this." Did I? Not at all. Surprise surprise. I literally found all 6 tracks enjoyable. PRIMARY and RED ZONE are my favorites. ----- SHIVA - 救世主-メシア－ UH........ RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. LIKE DAMN. ----- 少年記 - TIMELESS BANG ME one last time. ----- vistlip - Snowman I haven't enjoyed a vistlip single in its entirety since CHIMERA. Either the singles weren't that great, or there was a B side I didn't care for. With Snowman, I could get behind all 3 tracks which is the first since 2013 LOL ----- パノラマ虚構ゼノン - XENON BEST SELECTION YAAAAAAASSSSS SO MANY BANGERS ----- -真天地開闢集団-ジグザグ - オキラ Dude this release was crazy good especially 本当はね、私わるい子。 -----

Greetings, monochromians and netizens at large! I'm a bit late, but here are my top 20 Favorite Albums (and mini-albums) of 2016. In this list, I've made no distinction between Japanese and International releases, since I enjoyed much fewer non-Japanese albums in 2016 than usual. I usually never bother ranking my AOTY lists, but I wanted to give it a shot this year for fun. I do think the rankings reflect my general sentiments in a way, but...don't read too much into them lol. XD Lastly, Please note that this list isn't meant to be some kind of objective statement on the music released last year - this is simply a recollection of the albums I enjoyed most in 2016. So have a look around, and if you have any thoughts to share, please feel free! (I also made some short audio samples for each track, for those who might be curious!) Let's get into it! 20 The Heart Speaks In Whispers by Corinne Bailey Rae While this album didn't entirely live up to the lofty expectations set by 2010's The Sea, there was still a lot here for me to enjoy! Corinne dabbled in her usual pop fare, but it was the strong, classic r&b and soul influences throughout the record that truly struck a chord. I adore her usually refined and elegant approach to songwriting, but it was great to hear her stretch those fantastic vocal chords and really go for it at times too. 19 SECRETS by Deep Sea Diver At the risk of sounding like a complete and utter weeb, I must admit that's it's been incredibly difficult for me to find American indie-rock bands that cater to my taste. There are, of course, some that I enjoy, but on the whole, few seem to possess the kind of rhythmic and melodic sensibilities that I go for. Seattle's Deep Sea Diver are an exception, though. They're certainly not innovators by any means, but they do have an understated quirkiness that I find extremely charming! 18 TAXIS by koh nakashima I'm a bit surprised that there's not much mention of this guy in the Western Jpop sphere. For me, he's been one of the most impressive and promising newcomers to hit the scene. He seemingly came out of nowhere, dropping two EPs - RAFT and TAXIS - just a few months apart. I found TAXIS especially appealing for its nostalgic, yet refreshing blend of house, city-pop, uk garage, and pop. This also gets extra points for being one of the few releases where me and @beni's taste actually converge! 17 NIPPONNO ONNAWO UTAU BEST by NakamuraEmi Speaking of nostalgia - NakamuraEmi also won me over with an acoustic-pop style that hearkens back to early 00's jpop. Though, like Koh Nakashima, she brings a hip flair to her music and even skillfully incorporates a rap flow at times; which is something of a normal occurrence in Jpop these days thanks to acts like daoko and suiyoubi no campanella. Funnily enough, "NIPPONNO ONNAWO UTAU BEST" is simultaneously Nakamura's major debut while also serving as a best-of album for her indie material. This was my first experience with her (as it probably was for most people), and I'm nothing short of impressed. She already has a well established sound, honed from years of toiling away in obscurity, and I can't wait to hear what's next for her. 16 Word in the Petals by CHERRYBOY FUNCTION Unless you're some kind of Japanese club music aficionado, then chances are you probably haven't heard of CHERRYBOY FUNCTION. Hell, even if you're just a casual fan of electronica, coming across him or his music is unlikely given his sufficiently weak social network game and scanty remix work. Yet despite this, he's been quietly cranking out his bleeps & bloops via the small record label ExT Recordings for about a decade now, and also plays alongside more prominent electronic acts like DE DE MOUSE and TOFUBEATS. Word in the Petals is just another great dose of his colorful techno and house grooves. 15 THE NEWEST JOKE by VELTPUNCH Despite their prominence as one of the western fanbase's treasured indie bands of the 00's, I was never much of a VELTPUNCH fan. Even when I first listened to this album, I wrote it off as being decent, but nothing more. Yet for reasons unknown to me, I gave it another try and it actually began to click, growing on me with each repeat listen. With a whopping fourteen tracks, clocking in at over an hour, the album does drag on for a bit too long. I might have placed this higher in the list if the pleasant-but-forgettable tracks were omitted in favor of the stronger moments, but there's still more than enough raucous indie-rock fun here to keep me coming back! 14 LAST WALTZ by world's end girlfriend This was actually my first time listening to a WEG record, and to be honest, it just barely made my list. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because it's simply a massive record and I felt I hadn't properly digested it yet. Though the fact that I still included it is a testament to the impression that's it's left on me. LAST WALTZ is an expansive amalgam of beautiful, cinematic landscapes, twisted distortion, and gritty electronics - right up my alley. I'll definitely enjoy continuing to digest this one in the year ahead. 13 freeform jazz by uyama hiroto Uyama Hiroto will probably be viewed as the spiritual successor to his peer and collaborator, the late Nujabes. However, with all due respect, I would say that this album has propelled him into a league of his own. While not technically "free-jazz", it certainly feels less bound than his previous works. It's a more musical effort overall, and the drumwork is especially more organic than before, as opposed to the straightforward boom-bap approach that similar artists take. In fact, you can hardly categorize this as just "jazzy hip-hop" anymore. Hell, the entire album only has one actual rap feature (and thankfully so, because I can't stomach cheesy backpacker rap!). It's an exquisite listen with fantastic vibes. 12 remix04 rem by Chouchou I've followed Chouchou casually for years now, but this album has completely cemented me as a fan. It's a self-remix album in the which duo have reworked their songs completely into ambient piano pieces, and it's astoundingly gorgeous! It's so well done that this albums feels like a new, cohesive work of its own, as opposed to an assortment of previously released tracks. I'd love for them to continue along this style. 11 DEEPER by HITORIE Wowaka's musical mind never ceases to amaze me. As a former vocaloid producer, he brings to HITORIE all of the colorful melodies and infectious riffs that I love, while thankfully leaving the actual vocaloid at home. If it weren't for the tail end of the album, DEEPER would have been much higher in rank, but the first half is so strong and has received SO MUCH playtime from me that it warrants a place on this list! 10 "inori de wa todokanai kyori" by JYOCHO The spirit of uchuu combini being resurrected in the form of JYOCHO was no doubt the biggest year-end surprise for me. For the most part, JYOCHO picks up exactly where the band left off, except this time adding a flutist into the arrangement. Even the new vocalist Rionos is barely distinguishable from uchuu's Emichoco. All in all, It's a lovely dose of math-pop, and just what I needed in my musical diet last year. 09 DISTORTION by THIS IS JAPAN These 4-piece alt. rockers appeared with yet another awesome debut EP last year. Citing influences such as Fugazi and Japanese indie legends NUMBER GIRL and Bloodthirsty Butchers, these guys play a style of rock that smashes together fun and catchy melodies with pure, spastic rawness! At a time where the smooth grooves of city-pop and the chilled sounds of western indie are trending in the J-indie world, THIS IS JAPAN is a breath of fresh air! 08 Floa by Mammal Hands With the emergence of acts like mouse on the keys and fox capture plan, bands fusing post-rock with piano-based jazz seem to be appearing more these days. Mammal Hands was my latest discovery in this style, and unlike their labelmates GoGo Penguin (who also released a solid album in 2016), this trio are a bit more loyal to their jazz influences. They have a pretty awesome saxophonist, which definitely supplements their jazzy predilections and gives them a more notable edge over similar bands. I like to imagine that Floa is what Uyama Hiroto would sound like if he went in a more jazzy and cinematic direction. 07 Flames & Figures by The Seshen The Seshen was another serendipitous new discovery for me last year. I stumbled across them while perusing one of my favorite UK music labels, Tru Thoughts, and I was enamored immediately. They make the kind of forward-thinking soul music that I love, with hints of electronica, synth-pop, and psychedelia all bundled into one, crisp, enthralling package. I've seen them described as "Little Dragon meets Erykah Badu", which is brilliant since I love those two. Apparently, they've also supported acts like Thundercat and Hiatus Kaiyote (who I also love!). 06 IKI by HITORIE No, you're not going crazy. This is, indeed, another HITORIE album on my list lol. They released two last year, and as you can see, I'm smitten with them both! IKI, however, is the second one to be released and also the better of the two. It doesn't have the powerhouse singles that DEEPER did, but it's the more cohesive and balanced work. Whereas DEEPER fizzles out towards the end, IKI is thoroughly engaging throughout. The amount of quality music that HITORIE released last year is just baffling! 05 A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead I'm most likely a fan of any Japanese band that you can describe as sounding Radiohead-esque - sleepy.ab, downy, trico, wooderd chiarie, ar - so it only makes sense that I'd be a fan of the masters themselves. I can't even tell you why I like them so much, but I guess their sound just speaks to my heart on a visceral level. This album is like the soundtrack to a dream of infinitely unravelling splendor. The arrangements are gorgeous and the production is as pristine and masterful as it gets. Amazing! 04 Ugly Slave Children by No Party for Cao Dong These Taiwanese rockers completely swept me off my feet after seeing what I'd easily consider my favorite music video of 2016. Admittedly, the album took a while to grow on me, with its unexpectedly danceable nature, but I've really come to love its uniquely passionate blend of grooves, mathy passages, and emo outbursts. 03 SONASILE by Shohei Amimori I was beginning to lose faith in PROGRESSIVE FOrM, my favorite Japanese electronic label, as the quality of their releases have been shoddy over past few years, but Shohei Amimori has completely dispelled my growing stigma with this album! SONASILE is an absolutely incredible sonic feast of colorful IDM and sunny glitch-pop. There are also hints of modern classical and jazz piano strewn throughout, and even some very strong Shibuya-Kei influences. I'm surprised that the western fandom seems to have overlooked this one! 02 dai roku sakuhin-shu "mudai" by downy As expected, downy's 6th untitled album is absolutely singular! It's much different from their previous album, yet just as good. Robin Aoki's vocals are more prominent than they've ever been, and the production seems a bit more earthy and natural, as if the album was produced specifically with live performances in mind. It's brought out a new kind of warmth to their otherwise stark and cold, dystopian sound. The general soundscape of the album isn't as varied as their previous releases, but it works in downy's favor here. Instead of going for an outwardly expansive sound, the album plays out like the band exploring their own inner workings, and it's a whole new world unto itself. I'm not sure how these guys do it, but they keep evolving while remaining a uniquely potent force. 01 siraph by siraph You know those "create your dream band" topics? Well, I've ruminated on those kinds of subjects quite a bit and never in a million years would I have thought to create a band as perfect as siraph. These guys are literally a dream come true - mostly due in part to the god-tier combination of haisuinonasa's Yoshimasa Terui and school food punishment's Masayuki Hasuo. Terui was the driving force behind haisinonasa and Hasuo was responsible for school food punishment's best material. With both bands in the throes of oblivion (the former appears to be on hiatus and the latter has been disbanded for years), their unique sounds seemed at danger of being lost to time. Thankfully, siraph has appeared with this godsend of a debut to save the day! The EP combines Terui's offbeat, math rock-sensibilities and Hasuo's eccentric synth grooves to brilliant effect. Both composers wrote three tracks each, and while their individual styles are obvious, they couldn't be any more complimentary as a unit. Singer Annabel completes the circle, bringing with her an anison charm that completely invigorates Hasuo and Terui's already imaginative compositions. With this EP, in addition to their demos and recent single, siraph has single-handedly made my 2016!

Sonic Death Chicken?

100% KAWAII

anyone know any news about these band? : - ) there site is shows 403 and isn't has been updating for a while

inb4

Hikari and B.I.O.S were sooo amazing! ;D

Glam Grammar - Yanderella in Halloween Party (Version A and B)

the khween of mysterious bands Tomomi-sama strikes again

as I promised @vanivani , some thoughts on glamhaze's last album : like many other glamhaze fans i was a little disappointed when i saw that the tracklist only has 5 studio recordings, 4 of which are title tracks from their previous singles. it's especially depressing since we all know that glamhaze has a ton of unreleased songs that they never pressed to disc. heck, i wouldn't even have minded if they had re-recorded some jilled ray songs. the only "new" track here was Ayatori - a super fun track that the band plays at every single oneman so far if i remember correctly. it's true that a "rough mix" of that track was distributed at their O-West oneman but it was quite badly produced even by demo standards, so it was nice to see them doing a proper recording for it. no complaints there! that said, i still bought their album really because of the PVs which they included after incessant requests from fans (like 20% of the questions fans fielded to them on the ZL tour were literally 'PVs plz??'). Last Scene PV was especially a beauty. i can't get over how gorgeous everyone is?? <33333 ok fangirling aside, it would be a hugeeee shame if they had never released the PVs officially. so yeah, that alone would have justified the purchase for me. BUT! the biggest surprise for me was actually the live recordings. to be honest i'm not a huge fan of live recordings in general because something just feels off listening to the tracks without the immediacy of the visuals. but somehow.. glamhaze's live recordings felt so real and warm as if i was right there. and, i know people always feel like i say this of every vocalist i love (which is like 1083571) but i feel quite strongly that Satoru is without doubt one of the best vk vocalists technically. he's just SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good live like wtf. i remember how i was completely mind blown the very first time i heard him live in jilled ray, and he def only got better and better with time. ugh. Ray is one of my favorite guitarists in vk and he's sooo flashy both visually and sound-wise - just listen to yasashii machi, his lines were so tight and prominent compared to their studio recording! overall, the recording quality on Disc 2 was fantastic as far as i'm concerned. anyway, i'm thoroughly satisfied with their album, despite my initial misgivings. do yourself a favor and buy it and listen to it. and don't forget to support satoru on his solo project!!! here's the live recording of "Dirty Heaven" from the album, one of their numerous unreleased tracks:

Goods for their 2nd anniversary one-man on 1/22

not ONE Soshi era song? no HIKARI, B.I.O.S., lost minerva, GIGA WORLD? looks like I'm gonna pass this one, thank you

ELYNDAL-エリンダル's setlist is great

current Ryohei mood: Aaand merci @Danaofor the help! <3

They are literally the best I don't even care I'll stan them forever

BROOOO' YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM RN

really really nice live ver. MUST WATCH.

what about fork-kei? don't forget fork-kei. bands: the gallo

We have a fansite with comprehensive information and translations (the entire discography is translated except for one song) which we regularly update here: www.kuroi-ondori.com We also run a Tumblr where we post website updates, fun facts about the band, and naturally, tons of photos. http://fuckyeahgallo.tumblr.com/ Longpost is long!

Sick. has announced that they'll release their second mini album [2117] on 2017.2.22.

vistlip new album "BitterSweet" (4 types) will be released on 2017/03/29

This setlist with Bidoh on vocals...could they please make a video of this?

Hi folks, I have decide to post my best list which was builded during the year. It was a bit more difficult this time because there was a lot of more enjoyable releases and songs. There are some songs that I really appreciate that aren't on the list. The list consist in vk only, not that my favorite JRock artists haven't done good music, but as I said before some haven't make it. At the same time the year had a lot of good releases, it was the saddest year for disbands to me. This list features a "top 50" for songs and two "top 5" for releases. Please enjoy the list and feel free to give comments about it. Thank you.

have they made an official announcement, or mentioned that somewhere? cuz if it's true, that's a damn shame. it would be like klaha never doing a gack era song just because so...

Why was there so much fuzz about a band that never even came to be?

Yay xD LAYOUT was an amazing album hopefuly this can do better

Hello fellow Monochronians! Here's my End-Of-The-Year list of 26 albums that I enjoyed in 2016. To be honest, there weren't a lot of Japanese albums that caught my interest last year so it'll be practically non-Japanese. As you'll see, it's a little synth heavy (as I really got into that genre last year). But, there's a little bit of everything so take a look and don't be shy to leave any comments! *I organized albums alphabetically and I put more of a focus on genre for my list. JAPANESE Babymetal - Metal Resistance [Pop/Metal] A super solid sophomore release by the cute but deadly trio. Metal Resistance is a more serious take on the pop and metal infusion, but equally as enjoyable as their self-titled. The instrumentals are excellent and there are many catchy melodies to be found. Yui-Metal and Moa-Metal are also featured a bit more prominently. There were quite a few surprises sprinkled throughout as well like the dreamy yet hard-hitting From Dusk Till Dawn and how the ending of Tales of the Destinies seamlessly transitions into THE ONE and perfectly ties up the album. Highlights: KARATE / YAVA! / Meta Tarou / From Dusk Till Dawn / Sis. Anger / THE ONE ----- born - Abnormal Head Machine -Remastered- [Visual Kei/Indie Rock/Industrial] I never imagined born would remaster and release their first album in its entirety. This album has remained a favorite of mine with it's dark, industrial and raw sound, but the muddled mixing has always left me wishing for a remaster. If you liked Abnormal Head Machine the first time, you'll like it even more. It isn't drastically different, but a lot of the density has been removed to allow for a cleaner and crisper sound. Highlights: Extemly waltz / Tragedy / white harmony / Innocent Bullet / Rotten cherry / -tHiNk- / THE END ----- Dezert - Saikou no Shokutaku [Visual Kei/Indie Rock/Hardcore] Saikou no Shokutaku ranks among the top of favorite Dezert releases for me. It takes the musical groundwork that the band has built and twists it into something a little stranger. The result is a delightfully quirky and fun album. While it may be lighter in tone as a result, their heavy and rough sound is still present. Highlights: 「あー。」/「君の子宮を触る」/「ここにラブソングを」 /「問題作」 /「追落」 /「排泄物」 / 「 おいしい脾臓は笑わない」/ 「セイオン」/「宗教」 /「ピクトグラムさん」 ----- Kiki Hitmoi - Karma no Kusari [Electronic/Dub/Reggae/Enka] Karma no Kusari was a surprise hit for me. I listened to the album based on the cover art alone and am I sure glad I did. This album mixes Dub Electronic, Enka, and even some Reggae to create a uniquely Kiki Hitmoi sound. You'll be listening to her sprite-like rapping over funky bass lines one moment and Japonesque melodies swirled with sonically rich electronics in another. Everything was recorded analog so the audio has a warm lo-fi quality to it that gives the album a more personal feel. Highlights: Nightwalkers / Yellow Story / Pink No Kimono / Yume No Hana ELECTRONIC Andy Stott - Too Many Voices [Techno/Experimental/Downtempo/Abstract] A more lighthearted follow up to the bleak and violent Faith In Strangers, Too Many Voices is Andy Stott's fourth full album release. It still features Stott's signature dark and grimy sound but it is more straightforward and, with the inclusion of more vocals and elements of hip hop/RnB, gives off a more laid back and downtempo feel. Highlights: Butterflies / New Romantic / Selfish / On My Mind / Too Many Voices ----- G.H. - Housebound Demigod [Drone/Experimental/Ambient/Dark/Industrial] This was another artist I gave a try based on the cover art. The cover looked dark and foreboding and gave off a feeling of a bad omen. And, much to my pleasure, the music reflected the tone of the cover. It's industrially monotone but at the same time savage and primal. Through drab drones and pulsating subbass the album churns out its front of black and nefarious sounds making for a mechanically surreal listening experience. Highlights Screamin' Demon Pickups / Mickey Cosmos / Angels and Doormen / Yorkshire Fog / Bikini / Housebound Demigod ----- Com Truise - Diffraction [Downtempo/IDM/Synth] Com Truise has already made his name in the retro synth scene, but this is the first release by him I've listened to. His latest EP features 5 rhythm-driven tracks with intricate synth melodies that play off the percussion. The bass kicks and snare are punchy and the synth parts sound crisp and perky making for some lively and refreshing head-bobbing compositions. All the tracks hit this sweet balance of sounding math-y but also being danceable. Highlights Sunspot / Diffraction / du Zirconia ----- Tycho - Epoch [Postrock/Chillwave/Ambient] If I'm being honest, Tycho albums are all kind of the same. They're all chill and easy on the ears, but it's hard to tell one song apart from the other. However, there are notable changes in style with each new album, and with Epoch it's the band's greater focus on technical performance that stands out. I really have to give props to the drummer. He lays down some amazing drum work that really brings life into this album. In general, there are more lively compositions, such as Glider and Slack and these are the tracks that I find myself coming back to most often. Highlights Glider / Horizon / Slack / Local ----- In Love With A Ghost - Let's Go [Chillwave/Electronic/Downtempo] Let's Go is probably the most low key release on this list. It's written by a French artist and released by a small Slovakian indie cassette tape label called Ztapes. It's a very short EP too with only 4 tracks that aren't very long, but it manages to woo me with its sweet and delicate melodies and interesting use of pitch distortion on vocals. The simple use of piano adds a cute factor and the sampling of soft noises, like gently sifting water, placing something in a bowl, or moving dishes, makes the album feel cozy and inviting. Highlights we've never met but, can we have a coffee or something / flowers (feat. nori) / sorry for not answering the phone, i'm too busy trying to fly away ----- FM-84 - Atlas [Synthwave/Retrowave/Synth-Pop/Dreamwave] Atlas is full of dreamy sun-soaked melodies that'll take you back to the 80's. The compositions are lush with radiant synth notes and filled with a sonic warmth that sends chills down my back. The album is a mix of instrumental tracks and tracks with vocals, but I enjoy the tracks with vocals more. There are a lot of featured singers but I especially love powerhouse vocalist Ollie Wride. His voice is electric and he adds so much emotion to the songs he's featured in. This is the kind of album you listen to driving through the night at high speeds with windows down while shouting the lyrics like a teen. Highlights Running In The Night (Feat. Ollie Wride) / Tears / Let's Talk (feat. Timecop1983 & Josh Dally) / Arcade Summer / Wild Ones (feat. Ollie Wride) / Jupiter / Goodbye (feat. Clive Farrington) ----- Gost - Non Paradisi [Synthwave/Slasherwave/Darkwave] Non Paradisi is a loose musical adaptation of the epic poem "Paradise Lost" by John Milton which is about Lucifer's fall from heaven and ascent from the Lake of Fire. This is Gost's first more conceptual work and he really captures the essence of the poem. There's a greater focus on atmosphere than on his past works and you feel like you're taking a dark and gritty journey to the gates of hell. The album is full of hellish explosive moments that'll have you headbanging like a fiend and, by the end of this whole thing, you'll have felt like you've seen the face of Satan. Highlights Commencement / Lake of Fire / Supreme / 4th / Arise / Maleficarum / I Am Abaddon ----- Perturbator - The Uncanny Valley [Synthwave/Darkwave] *Artwork features nudity NSFW If you like post-apocalyptic cyber punk darkwave synth music, look no further than Perturbator. His latest work is full of hard-hitting compositions full of pulsating synth lines, relentless and percussive rhythms, and dark and sinister atmosphere. He makes excellent use of several featured artists, like Greta Link and Hayley Stewart, who greatly enhance the songs they're featured on with their vocals. And, the mix of hard, dance-y, and ambient tracks leave no dull moments on the album. It's probably his most complex album to date and, consequently, my favorite release so far. Highlights Neo Tokyo / Weapons For Children / Venger (feat. Greta Link) / Disco Inferno / She Moves Like A Knife / Sentien (feat. Hayley Stewart) / The Cult of 2112 / Souls At Zero (feat. Astronoid) ----- The Midnight - Endless Summer [Synthwave/Retrowave/Synth-Pop] The 80's may be long past but The Midnight won't let you forget. This album is ripe with synth-soaked pop melodies, amazing vocals, and even a healthy dose of saxophone. It goes in between tracks with vocals and instrumentals, but I like the vocal tracks more. The range of emotions this album makes me feel is wide. Songs like Jason and Vampires get my blood pumping while songs like Synthetic and Comeback Kid move my heart with their deep lyrics and powerful vocal performances. Only 80's kids will remember the 80's like they do, but only twenty-tens kids will remember the 80's like we do. (btw, I couldn't find an official term for the years 2010-2019. Chose what sounded best to me from my google-ing!). Highlights Sunset / Synthetic / The Comeback Kid / Vampires ----- Tommy '86 - Transhumanism [Synthwave/Darkwave] A dark and electrifying dark synth album about A.I. taking over humanity, Transhumanism features lots of blood pumping compositions and gritty buzzsaw synth lines melded with bleak melodies. This has quickly climbed to the top of my favorite synth albums of the year because of the story it weaves through its music. Much like Gost's Non Paradisi or Perturbator's The Uncanny Valley, Transhumanism's conceptual conception gives the album a very strong sense of direction from beginning to end. Each track feels necessary in building up to the final moments of the album with songs like Command and Control and Doppelganger building desperation and suspense and songs like the despondent and desolate No Man's Earth preparing the way for the dramatic closer Transhumanism. In this vast sea of synthwave, Tommy '86 manages to stand out with his own brand of sounds and I can't wait to see what he does next. Highlights Citymulation / Sequential Slavery (feat. Dan Terminus) / Animus and Assimilation / L.V.T.H.N. Central Unit / The Shutdown of Humanity / Transhumanism ----- Trevor Something - Soulless Computer Boy and The Eternal Render [Synthwave/Retrowave/Chill/Synthpop] Trevor Something is a unique artist as I find his music to tread a fine line between synthwave and r&b/hip hop. While his music is unmistakably synth heavy, his lyrics and singing style are often times similar to a lot of pop/r&b artists. As a result, I didn't initially enjoy his music. But, with more listening I've really grown to like Trevor Something and even find him to be special. His fourth album is a dreamy and ambient entry with much more atmospheric tracks featured than before. In fact, the first half of the album are vocal tracks while the second half is instrumentals. As one of his song titles accurately details, the second half is like experiencing a "digital cleanse". That isn't to say that he's completely left behind his pop sensibility. Tracks like Do It Again and The Real You are catchy and a lot fun to listen to. It's a more serious direction for him but a welcome exploration into what else he's capable of. Highlights Girlfriend / Do It Again / The Real You / Digital Cleanse / I Came Back For You / Waiting For The Cold / Beyond The Infinite ----- Waveshaper - Station Nova [Synthwave] 2016 was a great year for dark and atmospheric space themed synth music, but Station Nova stands out as the galactic dance party of the bunch. It nails that sense of space travel but in a much more lighthearted mood. You can help but dance to tracks like Future Vision, Pixel Stars (feat. Robert Parker) , and Hardware Passion. What really makes this album memorable are the melodies. Waveshaper has great melodic sense and every song is catchy and memorable. You really can't go wrong with a retrosynth space disco album. Highlights Future Vision / The Engineer Part II / Vector Dream / Pixel Starts (feat. Robert Parker) / Hardware Passion / Airlock Love / Escape To Eternity ----- Shoutouts Dynatron - The Rigel Axiom [Synthwave/Extraterrestrial/Darkwave] Fantastic space-like synthwave to give you intergalactic chills. Atmospheric and immersive. Highlights Contact / Stones ----- Dynatron - The Legacy Collection Vol. I [Synthwave/Extraterrestrial/DarkwaveRock] It's like The Rigel Axiom but a lot more upbeat and more on the rock side with prominent use of electric guitar. Highlights Throttle Up / 37 Million Horserpower / Intergalactic Highway / Zero Gravity ----- Makeup and Vanity Set - Brigador Vol. I [Synthwave] Fantastic space-y and atmospheric synthwave album with plenty of upbeat compositions and fantastic percussion and rhythm. Highlights Solo Nobre / There is No Law Here / No Way Out / March / Great Leader Has Fallen / It's Our Rules Now ----- Orax - Cometa [Synthwave/Italo-Disco] Synthwave but with an Italian Disco twist. There's a lot of dance rhythms to be found but also an underlying tone of benevolent darkness. Also, there's a fantastic use of a narrator, Tom O'Bedlam, on "Alone" who has a wonderfully deep and ancient sounding voice. Highlights Broken / Stay / Roof of Love / Empty / Alone ROCK eskimeaux - Year of the Rabbit [rock/lo-fi/bedroom pop] This is a sweet little EP with simple and lovely melodies spoken through pensive melancholy lyrics. The themes presented here are all too relatable whether it's about being so busy that you lose track of time or feeling good about a new year but not really believing it. But the tone is always upbeat and presented in a bedroom-pop/rock style that makes listening to the album fun. Highlights Year of the Rabbit / What The Fxxx / Power / Drunk / Bulldog ----- The Fall Of Troy - OK [Math Rock/Post Hardcore/Progressive Metal] OK marks an interesting time in the band's history as it's their first album in 7 years since their disbandment in 2009. The album was also self-released. While it doesn't stack up to its predecessors (minus In The Unlikely Event), OK manages to be an enjoyable listen and even pull some surprises. After their over-produced last album, It's a much needed return to form focusing more on slick and technical guitar lines and solid song structure. Songs like Inside Out and A Single Word even sound reminiscent of their earlier works using similar phrases or melodies. One thing the album does better than their earlier works is balancing their harsh and chaotic play style with more melodic passages. As a result, Its easy to listen to the album on repeat. Highlights 401K / Inside Out / A Single Word / An Ode to the Masochists / Auto Repeater / Your Loss ----- Setentia - Darkness Transcend [Black Metal/Avantegarde/Ambient] I haven't listened to much black metal, but Darkness Transcend is the first album in the genre that really caught my interest. Its destructive precision softened out by gloomy ambient passages creates a chasm of chaos that swallows everything in its path. Anything in the way will be ripped to shreds and assimilated. However, it's the incorporation of melodies and how the band balances that with the harsh thrashings that keeps me engaged. Highlights Throne Of Thrones / Beyond Myopic Blame / Seeds Of Death (Departure) ----- Show Me A Dinosaur - Show Me A Dinosaur [Black Metal/Post Rock/Ambient] Unexpectedly, another black metal album made it onto my list. This time it's by Russian post rock/black metal band Show Me A Dinosaur (although there are a few more genres you could smash in there). While the music is aggressive and relentless, its tone is tragic and desperate. This is most notably expressed through the vocalist whose unrestrained shrieks tear through the whirl of guitars and flurry of drums. With the harder moments also come the more soft and ambient moments with tracks like Ochag and Hearth which are darkly somber and desolate. Highlights Rakev / Vjuga / Ochag / Lights / Gone / Wojna SOUNDTRACK Over The Garden Wall [Jazz/Blues/Classical/Folk/Country] The soundtrack to the hit mini-series Over The Garden Wall features a sweet collection of folk and bluesy medleys. They're cute and cozy compositions that have an antique sound and feel like they belong in another time period. Much like the cartoon, this lovely soundtrack will warm your heart. ----- Stranger Things [Synthwave/Score] Not only is this show amazing, but the soundtrack is too and greatly interested its listeners to the synthwave genre. Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein did a superb job in creating music that complimented the shows throwback to the 80's. There were nostalgic tracks that brought back feelings of being a kid, ambient and foreboding songs for tense and suspenseful moments, and gritty and hardcore nerve wracking tracks for moments of danger and peril. I can't wait for Season 2 to see what new compositions the two composers will bring to the series.

Since everyone's waiting for someone else to kick things off, I'll do it lol. My list is divided into 3 categories, each with 10 of my favorite releases, max 1 per band per section. The categories are (a) singles; (b) albums and mini-albums; (c) non-regular releases, which include live-limited/distributed CDs, digital releases, CDs of session bands, units, shuffle bands, and so on. As before, a caveat: I listen exclusively to visual kei and my list reflects that. Also, this list is called “hiroki’s favorites”, which is to say, music that speaks most intimately to me on various levels and has the kind of sound I'm attracted to. I make no pretense of this being the best that the scene has to offer anyone, since that's something only he/she can seek out on their own. For me--and saying this will no doubt induce significant eye-rolling--2016 was by some distance the best year of visual kei in terms of music released (disbands are a separate matter). It took me incredibly long to assemble a list of 10 per category because in each case I could easily have cited 50 that would ordinarily waltz into my top 10 list any other year. The competition this time was unreal. I considered appending an honorable mention section to each category but I thought better of making an already lengthy list even more unwieldy. Lastly: even though I made this list more as a cathartic exercise than a serious attempt to make others fall in love with my bands, I'll be delighted if you decide to leave a comment. So please feel free to let me know what you think! ^^ Since it's apparently no longer possible to embed the mp3 directly I've uploaded snippets on Youtube (already a couple of copyright warnings so far). I'll keep my thoughts as short as possible; it's quite pointless to repeat 'I LOVE THIS SO MUCH' 30 times... Here we go! TOP 10 SINGLES #10 Blu-BiLLioN / S.O.S. BB leads the way among kira vk bands that have made it relatively big - a tough ask these days. They aren't even in my top tier of bands, but can I just say how proud I am of them?? Please make it to Budokan one day #9 ビバラッシュ / Merry-Merry-Merry-Go!!-Round☆ I'm glad to see the Vivarush guys expanding their repertoire from the signature Fukuoka electro-rock sound that characterized their previous band. 透明な影 is an example of something you wouldn't have heard in A≠ris (Ruimaru spoke of the difficulty he encountered writing lyrics to this song). It seems Osaka is currently experiencing a mini-revival for this style of vk so hopefully that works in their favor. #8 vistip / CONTRAST Probably the closest post-CHIMERA vistlip has come to giving me that feeling which made me fall in love so hard with them when they started out. The chorus of CONTRAST is classic vistlip; just listen to how Tomo duplicates the same 2-bar phrase over the IV-V-iii-vi progression. But theory-speak is unnecessary; their sound + Tomo's lyrics pull me into their world like no other band can and that's all the matters. I demand more of this magic for your 10th anniversary this year please. #7 Purple Stone / 歌舞伎町バタフライ If you've been around MH for more than 3 days you'd probably have realized that I kinda love Purple Stone. I have no freaking clue why they are only #7, but that just attests to how crowded the field is. Anyway, it's nearly impossible to choose between 歌舞伎町バタフライ and パニックパニック！. The latter definitely kills at lives, but 歌舞伎町バタフライ probably has the edge on record so I've gone for that here. The B-side "RIVER" is Purple Stone's grandest song, and "Paradise Dance" a fantastic live track that I've enjoyed every single time. #6 グラムヘイズ / 妄想スパイス There's only one reason why I’ve picked this single over ラストシーン for glamhaze: its B-side 優しい街 kills me every time I hear it. Satoru's dreamy love letter to a Tokyo that has mercilessly turned its back on him continues to tear at my heart. Musically this song fuses a sparkly cascading soundscape reminiscent of DOF with a controlled intensity to produce an experience at once subtle and epic. It's very difficult for fans to accept glamhaze's imminent disbandment, but at least we have Satoru's solo project to look forward to. #5 弾丸 NO LIMIT / ソノ嘘ホント I can't believe how much Dangan has grown in such a short period of time. They write memorable melodies with unbelievable ease and Miyuu sounds ridiculously good every single time. I'm also kinda obsessed with Yusuke at this point (oops). Everything about this single is perfect except its album art (what?). #4 Lydiar / the Elpis I wasn't too into Lydiar's first single, however a friend of mine loved it so much I told myself to stick with them a little longer. It turns out that it wouldn't be long before they decided to disband anyway, which was a real shame because their 2nd single was really everything I love. For that alone I'll always remember them <3 I suspect coyomi's almost-out-of-control vocals would be unbearable to some, but they work for me! #3 Ank lily. / 解けた糸 Every year a band emerges from nowhere and snags one of the top spots in my singles list and along with it a permanent place in my heart. Last year was DiCE and this year it's Ank lily. I've been a great admirer of Rui since Emu. and buccal cone but this single excels on a whole new level. Hopefully Rui comes out of his semi-retirement mode soon... #2 アンフィル / Step by step Definitely the hardest decision I've had to make on this list. Not with regard to the position, but which Anfiel release? It's almost scandalous that a release like ラヴァ doesn't make it, but a band can only blame themselves for releasing 1 very very good single and 3 very very very good singles in a single year, right? On a more serious note, the split second Shogo's vocals enter this song after the guitar intro has got to be one of my all-time favorite moments in visual kei. The very first sounds he makes shift the mood so dramatically that I’m still blown away each time I go back to the track. Have I told you that I love Shogo?? #1 BLESSCODE / Imperial City If #2 was the hardest decision, this was the easiest. Hyperbole alert: I feel rather strongly that Imperial City is the best visual kei song I've ever heard. SORRY NOT SORRY. Surprisingly I'm not the only one who feels this way *winks* Witnessing this single drop in April was the equivalent of watching a soccer match where one team has scored 20 goals by half-time. It isn’t even close. At this point I don't even feel like describing what is it specifically about this song that I like. I still get goosebumps when I hear the chorus. It has become trite to claim that one "loves everything" about a song, except that's literally true in this case. I simply cannot imagine a song in this style that's done better. 99.9/100, 0.1 penalty for their decision to disband.

My top 5 movies of 2016. Arrial The Nice Guys Don't Breathe Hacksaw Ridge Deadpool

They lost a very good opportunity to name it "masTOURbation".

I s2g if they have tour shirts that say Masturbation on them I will write a blank check for one.

Harambkei

So 2017 will be the year of cringe-worthy bands, eh ? This is beyond awful ! Toddlerkon +furry + shitty vocals + lame synth and the song is about overcoming bullying !?

Shocked that their name isn't a reference to this, tbh Was fully expecting some Linus kei.

41. アンフィル - パロニリア 42. ザアザア- したいだけでしょ？ 43. vistlip - which hunt 44. アンフィル - ポイズン・ヒーロー 45. vistlip - Contrast 46. FAR EAST DIZAIN - INHALE 47. DADAROMA - imitation hero 48. Reign - AKANE 49. ザアザア- どす黒い 50. ギルガメッシュ - Horizon

VRZEL - THE FIVEFOLD DEW JILUKA – Devine Error (Type A + B ) DiSPiИA - 血塗れエンドロール

I already knew this song was gonna suck 3 seconds into the video when I saw this: Uuuugh !

i swear. you get the best stuff and just flaunt in in front of all of our faces.......... ;__; (no, but seriously, good for you bro. enjoy em)

don't let manufactured idols distort your sexual preference, p*ssy is only fun to play w. when one actually has it.

Cool project! I really like the "Lay To Rest" song, and also "Dystopia." Especially "Dystopia." Apparently we were on the Decadent Society Volume 2 together! As for the singing, I like it! I think you've got a cool gothic-y voice. Don't let the haters get to you. You are on key, good pitch. I'm not much of a fan of most music with screaming, so I can't comment on the screaming, as that is just a personal preference. I've released a number of things now, and my earlier stuff, some of it I now cringe at my vocals, but some people really loved those albums. And some reviewers tore them apart. Some reviews were so bad they made me laugh! Whenever an absolutely awful review comes out for my music, I think of Motley Crue describing how all their albums up until Dr. Feelgood were just ripped apart by "professional" reviewers. They said they usually wouldn't even read reviews of their albums, but they also said that bad ones were great publicity. They said that they really didn't care what reviewers thought because it wasn't about them, it was about the fans. Especially on my first two albums that I sang on, I got a good bit of criticism on my vocals. I got a lot of "he's not using his range very well" and "he sounds bored". Largely because of that feedback, I've worked more on my voice, as I have a generally low voice. I've gotten much more confident over the years, so now there's not much criticism. But every once in a while there is. I try to take that criticism with a grain of salt, put it in my mind, and maybe work on that a little for the next song. But like Motley, for me its not about reviewers, it's about the fans. They are a much better judge of what you are doing. I'm by no means a guru on any of this, but I find that it helps to listen to the criticism, laugh and say "man, fu¤% that guy," think about what they meant, and how it could potentially improve your sound. Great work, keep doing what you are doing, keep pushing the envelope, and strive to get better at what you do every single time. If you try something and it sounds like crud, analyze the situation and get back at it. I'm gonna buy the album

They will also hold their South American tour in April 2017. Tour dates: 2017.04.05 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil @ RIO ROCK EXPERIENCE 2017.04.07 Buenos Aires, Argentina @ GALPON B 2017.04.09 Sao Paulo, Brazil @ INFERNO CLUB inb4 cUM TO BRAZIL

The Divine Comedy