Traxan

Newb question: how do they get away with a name like this? Dio, if you don't know, was the name of the band for a legendary metal singer named Ronnie James Dio. When you say "Dio" to an American metal fan they instantly think Ronnie James Dio and no one else. And he toured Japan many times so they know his name, too. Along with the association there's trademark issues. Bands with an existing trademarked name in the US have to come up with a new name. Testament is probably the best known case. They were known as Legacy and signed to a record deal under that name. When they went to trademark it, they saw another band had the name and had to change theirs. Granted this Dio will likely never set foot in the U.S. but isn't there still potential overlap with the U.S. Dio in Japan as well? Or is Japan so completely isolated musically they can get away with it?

Ayumi Hamasaki is going deaf. http://aramajapan.com/news/pop-music-emergency-ayumi-hamasakis-non-deaf-ear-is-going-deaf/75372/#more-75372 Since the mid-2000s, a huge topic among fans of J-Pop Empress Ayumi Hamasaki has been about the gradually worsening condition of her hearing. From feelings of sorrow, to worry, to being the butt of a joke from haters; as a singer, it has no doubt affected her vocal technique. Today, the Ayu took to her Team Ayu blog to talk about her current health condition and revealed that her right ear is beginning to weaken after years of compensating for her fully deaf left ear. After talking about her knee injury recovery, Hamasaki writes: Just before this year’s tour began I received a second blow – my hearing started to deteriorate further. My semicircular canals had blown, and I was experiencing crippling dizziness. I wasn’t able to walk in a straight line, and was often reduced to vomiting in the restroom at the rehearsal studio. I tried to put a brace face on things, but was told after various hearing tests that my right ear (which had been working overtime to compensate for my deaf left ear) was weakening fast. I don’t have a clear memory of my journey home after that. I just remember wondering how I, as a singer, would cope with two useless ears. Other than that, I was in darkness. None of this is surprising considering how her left ear got in such awful condition. During her concert tour 2000 Act 1, Ayu caught a cold accompanied by an ear infection. She was warned by her doctor that she needed to ease up her exposure to loud noises so her ear infection could heal. However, she only spent a few days in the hospital to recover to get back to touring and surrounding herself with loud noises. Being the hard-working and motivated business woman she is, at the top of her game and fame and devoted to her art and the coins, she did not cancel or postpone any tour dates until Act 2. During performance rehearsals for her DOME TOUR 2001, it was believed that Ayu began suffering tinnitus, a ringing in the ear that is caused by constant exposure to sound. Despite the numerous warnings for years that she should avoid loud noises and ease up on her immense touring schedule, Ayu continued at full speed. For years to come, she continued her schedule of at least one tour per year, a New Year’s countdown concert event and appearances at a-nation each year.

Yoshiki of X JAPAN underwent surgery for cervical artificial disc replacement on Tuesday, May 16 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. The operation was concluded successfully. Diagnosed as having "cervical foraminal stenosis" (radiculopathy of the left arm and herniated discs at the C5-C6 levels) due to his intense drumming style, his artificial disc replacement surgery required several hours of highly intricate skills by Dr. Neel Anand. Yoshiki is currently in stable condition. According to the doctor, he will have difficulty using his voice for a while after the surgery. He should regain his regular voice within the coming months as recovery progresses. The incision is expected to heal partially over the next six weeks, and 90 percent recovery is expected over the next six months. However, the length of time it will take for Yoshiki to see improvement on the nerve pain that runs down his left arm is still unknown. Ordinarily, Yoshiki should remain in the hospital for at least a few days after the surgery. After waking up from general anesthesia and under heavy analgesics, he expressed that he wanted to record a song he was writing from up until the night before surgery. Persuading his doctor into releasing him from the hospital a few hours after surgery, he headed for the studio and stayed there for half an hour. However, since his condition after surgery was too extreme, his staff and the accompanying nurse managed to get him back home to rest under his physician’s care. In regards to the "X Japan World Tour 2017 We Are X" scheduled in July, the Yoshiki Premium Dinner Show dates in August and September, and other X JAPAN world tour dates, decisions will be made based on his recovery. The band's management hopes to make announcements as soon as possible.

Well he survived the surgery. Contain your disappointment.

Thanks.

Can someone tell me the title of the second song here? Man it's good.

If the album is due in June, it's done by now. They are just going through the preparation process, making physical discs, promo materials, etc. But it has to be in the can by now.

Really amazed this wasn't posted. I know he is not well liked but this is no laughing matter. Yoshiki of X JAPAN will undergo an emergency cervical artificial disc replacement surgery on Tuesday, May 16 in Los Angeles. As a result of Yoshiki's intense drumming style and the impact it has had on his physical health, he was diagnosed with cervical foraminal stenosis in July 2009, and then underwent a cervical laminectomy and a cervical foraminotomy. After suffering from a herniated disc that has worsened over the past six months, Yoshiki has experienced symptoms including numbness and severe paralysis of the left hand and arm, which have since been affecting his musical performances. Upon receiving a complete examination by his doctors in both Japan and the U.S., Yoshiki was diagnosed with cervical foraminal stenosis (radiculopathy of the left arm and herniation of intervertebral disc C5-C6). After thorough consultation, Yoshiki has no choice but to undergo surgery at this time. Yoshiki has been informed by a neurosurgeon in Japan that his neck has experienced severe damage that would force a professional rugby player to retire. It has been medically determined that he is approaching his limit, both physically and mentally. The intensive schedule has taken its toll on his already damaged nervous system. With performances at Visual Japan Summit festival, Yoshiki Classical Special in Japan, Hong Kong, Carnegie Hall in New York and Wembley Arena in London, he has continued to play around the world with X JAPAN and solo. In addition, adopting an intensive travel schedule to over 20 film festivals globally to promote the documentary "We Are X" contributed to his health condition. “I had the pleasure of seeing Yoshiki, who has a C5-6 disc herniation with left arm radiculopathy. He has been recommended to have a cervical artificial disc replacement," explains Neel Anand, M.D., Yoshiki's orthopedic spine surgeon in the U.S. Dr. Tommy Tomizawa, M.D., adds: "It was decided upon consultation that he will undergo emergency surgery as the condition of his neck at present will interfere not only with his career as an artist, but also with everyday life. From viewing the results of the MRI and CT scans, the damage is so severe that it is apparent that he has experienced considerable pain while performing. As this would be his second such procedure, we eliminated the option of a cervical foraminotomy, an operation in which a portion of bone is removed. Yoshiki's symptoms reappeared at the Visual Japan Summit festival, which was held last October in Japan. By the time he performed in January of this year at New York's Carnegie Hall, he had already lost the sensation in his left hand. The symptoms worsened this March following the U.K. Wembley performance, but he continued recording. Even in his condition at that state, Yoshiki stated that he wanted to see things through to the end. However, due to the worsening of his symptoms, doctors, determined that if the situation continued he would have gone beyond the point of surgery and recovery." The operation is to be performed on May 16 at a Los Angeles hospital. Unfortunately, the cancelation of all scheduled activity in May could not be avoided. X JAPAN's world tour of Japan, "We Are X" 2017 dates in July, the Yoshiki Premium Dinner Show dates in August and September, as well as yet-to-be-announced dates for the summer world tour that was to start in Los Angeles are now undergoing rescheduling with his U.S. agency William Morris Endeavor. Following Yoshiki's operation, a discussion whether to cancel, postpone or move forward as scheduled will be held amongst the agent, promoter and management.

Fuki from Light Bringer is overrated, IMO. People rave about her performance in Doll$boxx but all I hear is a squeal.

Hell, Rick Astley. Is Rick Rolling a meme in Japan?

The others, I didn't know. But how the hell did I miss Maximum the Hormone? Getting sloppy in my old age.

If I missed one, please note it. But I see four: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Man With a Mission (what a bunch of weirdos), Band-Maid and Silent Siren. BM is the only one of interest to me. SS is too poppy This is one very eclectic lineup, I have to say. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-uvhmdUAAAlRgM.jpg Tokyo, though, has no Japanese bands I recognize. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-uvi1CUQAESblM.jpg

Oh ffs, "Die For You" 2.0. Why oh why did Rami have to get sick?

I just found this video and man is it out of character. Jyou in a tight dress and slinking around all sexy. Damn, she almost had me convinced. Plus it's got a great swing beat.

You should drop by the Japanese metal forum. We cover all the bases, not just VK, and there is a lengthy thread on Aldious. http://jpmetal.org/

I like to joke that a band is VK if they are so androgynous you can't tell what gender they are. Since Aldious are clearly girls they don't qualify. But I don't believe they ever were. They were called "ageha metal," inspired by a magazine of the same name where the fashion was based on hostess bar women. Rami, Yoshi and Aruto especially looked like a hostess bar worker in the early days. Toki and Sawa not so much. On their first album, there is a song called "Yoro-chou" that translates to "night butterflies." Yachou is the Japanese word for moths, which they call night butterflies, but it is also slang for those hostess women. And the lyrics talk about a place where the yachou gather and how they spread their wings to make you their own, etc. Plus, their original logo featured a moth. It's such a shame they lost Rami. Re:no has no place in that band. I'm glad Rami recovered from her health issues but her minimal efforts -- her "tours" have consisted of 3 shows -- tell me music is a part time thing for her. Either she's not fully recovered, or maybe she got married and this is just a hobby until she starts a family or something. She's made some great music and is a better singer than in her Aldious days but her effort is so minimal there's no way she can make a living off it.

Hyperactive J-pop/rock band Gacharic Spin are in Houston, Texas for the Anime Matsuri convention minus one member. Dancer Nene was forced to stay behind due to ear problems. From their twitter feed: I felt a strange change in my ear more than a few days ago, and as a result of receiving a hearing test, as a result of suspected hearing loss being strongly seen, it was diagnosed that treatment and rest are necessary from the doctor. I decided to take a break from the live activity for the time being, including Anime Matsuri 2017 in Houston which I was planning to appear this weekend. The currently scheduled live event will be performed for five persons for a while. (Finally, a halfway decent translation) The rest of the band just arrived in the U.S. This is their second trip. Two years ago they performed at a Japan festival in San Francisco. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8vVDx6V0AEutK4.jpg This is a real bummer as Nene has become an important member. She's not just a dancer she does backup vocals and plays keyboards on a few occasions on the band's new live DVD. Plus she works the crowd far more aggressively than Mai. Someone ripped a song from the DVD for YouTube, she's the dancer with the ponytail. Mai's hair hangs loose.

I love these hyperactive baka girls and this is the most incredible concert I've seen in years. It's exceptionally well shot and mixed, although Tomo-zo's guitar is a little low in the mix. That's a shame because she is a stellar guitarist and vastly underrated. It's high energy, light speed almost all the way through with one fast song after another. This DVD is not the whole show. I'm told Hana's drum solo is omitted as are a few other songs. The most amazing thing to me is the conditioning of the band. I read that they run marathons together as a bonding ritual and it shows. The final song, "Winner," features dancers Mai and Nenne running in place for the full length of the song, over 5 minutes, and that's after 90 minutes of bouncing around the stage like a gas molecule. Yet both girls are dry as a bone. Not a drop of sweat. The same goes for the rest of the band, except Reona, who is a sweaty mess. I'm bummed that some of my favorite songs are not included but this is a fantastic DVD otherwise. Well worth $35.

Not a VK band, but the late Gacharic Spin vocalist Armmy had a very deep speaking and singing voice. http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x4qdma_kn_express2000_gacharic-spin/1#video=xmknk0 And for some reason, Hana talked like a 5 year old. And my God, Koga never shuts up. Here's a performance video, so you can hear how deep Armmy's voice was. http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x4qdma_kn_express2000_gacharic-spin/1#video=x52q9r7

Wasn't sure if this was more appropriate for general or here. So if I'm wrong, i trust the mods will move it. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2017/01/28/music/big-japan-artists-abroad-may-find-difficult-draw-crowd/#.WJFTWVMrK1s There are now just three major record labels left on the planet: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. These three companies control as much as 80 percent of the music that is commercially available in the world — and not just in terms of sales. They also, in most cases, control the worldwide rights to the music they sell, which means they also control how that music is managed and promoted. In the past, when music was only sold via dedicated physical media — records, cassette tapes and compact discs — labels and artists in one part of the world would negotiate and sell rights to localized companies in other territories, thus allowing those companies to distribute, manage and promote that music in accordance with regional demands and tastes. Japan has been the second biggest music market in the world after the United States for a number of years. The bulk of music that is sold in Japan has always been by domestic artists, but international acts have always been keen to make an impression on Japanese music fans, believing that they can count on a certain high level of continuing support once they break into the market. However, this situation is changing due to the globalization of the music business. And it’s not just changing with regard to the aforementioned “big three.” In mid-November, Japan-based Hostess Entertainment, which handles, among other things, foreign independent record labels and artists in Japan and other Asian countries, announced that after Jan. 1 it was not renewing its agreement with U.K.-based Beggars Group, which represents the labels XL, Young Turks, 4AD, Rough Trade and Matador. Beggars’ releases in Japan will now be handled by a company that only distributes music. Shortly after the announcement, the Japanese independent music news site Public Rhythm published an email interview with an unnamed person from Hostess. The label said that the break with Beggars happened because the latter had “revised its approach to the Japanese market.” Speaking to The Japan Times, Hostess Entertainment President Andrew Lazonby is more specific. “Our licensing partnership (with Beggars) has been successful,” Lazonby says, “but their mission is to bring Japan in line with their operations around the world, so no rights managed locally, only CD distribution for a commission. That means promotion strategy and budget control will be managed far away by people who don’t know this market.” Consequently, Lazonby thinks the artists themselves will suffer. “But the artists in situations like this don’t seem to be the priority,” he says.

Lengthy interview with the band translated into English. http://jpmetal.org/thread-article-exist†trace-interview-naon-no-yaon-july-2016--964

You wouldn't know the link, would you? It might be in the Internet Wayback Machine.

Serious about Yoshi?? I knew about Ibuki because she just posted a picture on FB.

Well... people change. Female artists in particular seem to go through more career changes than men. Male artists can do the same shit for 40 years like AC/DC or Motorhead but female artists seem to be in constant flux through their careers. It could be that the ET women, now in their 30s, just don't have the angst any more.

So it's the feeling of sellout and dropping the dark imagery. Ok I get that. It happens a lot, and occasionally turns the band from a cult band to a monster success, like Journey, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac, and Chicago. I also had a WTF reaction to World Maker, but they pulled back a little with This is Now and I think it was quite good. But I don't see them as generic J Rock. Jyou is too distinctive a vocalist, she and Miko do great two-part harmonies (like Ginger) and Mally is one of the best drummers around.