beni

Artist: chouchou merged syrups. Mini: clepsydra Score: chouchou merged syrups. is back in the game and playing for keeps.
Having reigned the latter half of the 2000s as Japan's "go-to" female-fronted indie-rock band, MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS left a huge void in the scene when they disbanded back in 2012. Many acts have sprung up in an attempt to claim that abandoned spotlight, but few have managed to distinguish themselves. Bands like Tricot and MAMADRIVE, while competent, still suffer from forgettable songwriting, while other groups are still trying to find their sound (Cö shu Nie, THE★komesuduo), focusing their talents solely on pop efforts (negoto, akai-ko-en), or simply not consistent enough in output (itsue) or quality (uchuu conbini). One band that fell into the trap of inconsistency is chouchou merged syrups., but on their latest mini album "clepsydra", they've managed to patch up the holes in their sound and present themselves as a force to be reckoned with.

Formed in November of 2010 in Kyoto, the quartet quickly garnered interest by signing with the indie-powerhouse label Zankyo Records (cinema staff, People In The Box, mudy on the 昨晩, té, early 9mm Parabellum Bullet) and released their first track "針中察するに" on the label's 3rd compilation subtitled "-brightest hope-". This song alone was enough to grab the attention of indie-heads, as it introduced a refreshing take on the emo-rooted, indie-rock styles played to perfection by bands like 9mm parabellum bullet and Cinema Staff. The intrigue surrounding chouchou swelled into hype as it was announced that their first mini album "since" would be produced by none other than Cinema Staff's bassist, Souhei Mishima. Unfortunately, that hype quickly fizzled out with the mini album being an utter disappointment. "Since" sounded dull and soulless, as if the band were handed blueprints to unreleased cinema staff songs and forced to play them at gunpoint. Even vocalist Chiaki Kawato gave a timid, almost fearful-sounding performance - one that was further marred by her constant straining to hit notes that she either couldn't or shouldn't have attempted to; this is a common, but contemptuous trait amongst Japanese indie-rock vocalists. Because "since" didn't live up to it's expectations, prospective interest in the band diminished and the release of "clepsydra" nearly went unnoticed. Thankfully, chouchou took note of their defects and improved upon them in every aspect.

Contrasting "since" from the get-go, "clepsydra" opens with a 40-second instrumental titled "月光" - a guitar riff that's melancholic, menacing, and shrouded in atmosphere. This piece sets the tone for the first half of the mini album as chouchou delves into a darker, more emotionally-driven sound than they've done previously. The first 2 songs "斜陽" and "白昼夢は色彩の無い" not only showcase this new direction, but they also boast a vast improvement in the band's songwriting. There's plenty of intense, emo-inspired instrumentation to rock out to, but this time it's more precise and colorful. Chiaki's vocal melodies are more congruent with her skill level and there's more power behind her delivery. The gloomy pseudo-ballad "踊る、そして" slows things down to a post-rockish crawl, but fails to reach a substantial climax. This is perhaps my biggest grievance with "clepsydra" - they missed an opportunity to catapult this track into the stratosphere, and instead, ends up sounding like a 4 minute interlude. Subsequent tracks "Havfrue" and "風のように" move the album in a brighter direction and expand on those undeveloped post-rock tendencies by employing a fine balance of twinkly guitar interplay and emotive choral passages. "橙鳴る" brings the album to a brilliant finish. It's intense but delicate, melancholy yet uplifting - the perfect symbiosis of sounds represented in the first and latter halves of the album.

As a whole, "clepsydra" makes it clear that "since" was just a hiccup and the initial hype surrounding the band was warranted after all. With performances lined up at MINAMI WHEEL 2014 and Zankyo Matsuri's 10th Anniversary events, in addition to a brand new track featured on the latest Zankyo Record compilation, the future is looking bright. chouchou merged syrups. may very well solidify themselves as the next female-fronted "it" band of the Japanese indie-scene!

Ok here we go. I enjoyed 12012's whole comeback since 2012. I don't think I've ever had anyone agree lmao.

For the lulz - introducing the super official MH J-meme thread! I think you get the drift - share the best J-music related memes/funnypics/younameit that you've found in the interwebs or made yourself!
 
Following pictures are made by anonymous, yet extremely hilarious meme creators.
 

 

 

 
 

^ I agree with you fully. Personally, I am not quite interested in major and big bands (i.e. The Gazette, SuG, Alice Nine, etc.) because those sound and look exactly the same to me. I haven't the slightest clue how these bands were 'chosen' to become popular or why people overhype them so extremely whereas their performances are bland.
There are only a few big bands I like, but most of those derive from the late 80's and early 90's like X JAPAN or BUCK-TICK. They are icons, real rock stars, they lived the lifestyle in poorness and now luxury because they deserve a way on the top. But those silly boybands? I have clue what's attractive about them, it's probably just my personal taste but there are hundreds of indie bands out there that deserve a lot more than whoever is on the rise now.

This is literally what I was going to type up.

12012 - XII  

 

 
12012 have been rolling with a new style since one of their guitarists left them before the release of their self-titled. 
Overall, it's been a hit-and-miss with every new record since then, but the thing that remained constant in this transformation is that their music, regardless of whether or not it was bad or good, featured some very memorable content. I'm not too familiar with 12012's earlier years or even their mar maroon & Seven eras, but I will say that, within the context of these newer albums, I believe XI to be their best release yet. I will start out by saying that this album does not feature 12012's current heavy style (minus red).
 
The album starts with vicious of absolution, which begins with an intro reminiscent of their last album The Swan. It quickly picks up into a slick guitar line and Wataru later joins in with a smooth and flowing melody. This pattern continues throughout the song until its short yet efficient ending. If I were to describe the track in two words it would be simple and eloquent.
 
story of a different dimension kicks things up a notch with heavier fast paced drums and features some tight and distorted guitar playing. Even with this upbeat change, the song features a melancholy string solo and, almost, Gothic choir sequence. The best thing about the track though is definitely the guitars: They're charismatic and also played in a variety of styles keeping things interesting.
 
The album finally gets more into the band's recent hardcore sound with the red. It's what you'd expect from a recent 12012 heavy song except that it's much cleaner in execution and Wataru's screams are done much better without delving into ridiculous loud shouting and vomit noise territory. There's even a short acoustic Spanish guitar break that's oh so sweet. It does begin to feel too long near the end with the song being just 3 seconds shy of 6 minutes. A lot of this, I feel, is contributed from a weak second melodic chorus. It gets especially sigh inducing the second time around when it transitions/becomes the climax of the song but just kinda stays the same. Still, this can be forgiven because of the catchy main guitar riff.
 
alone is a sweet upbeat ballad that's somewhat of a throwback to their mar maroon/Seven era (at least in terms of the more poppy nature of the song). I find the bridge and chorus to be one of the more catchy melodic lines they've thrown at us in a while and just can't get enough of it. One thing I never really noticed in other songs but did in this one is the deep and rich tone of Wataru's voice. I usually don't notice this because he sings so high but alone really makes his voice shine.
 
We now come to the final and longest song on the album, aqua. The first thing I'll say is that it's way too long. This song did not need to be over 9 minutes. Basically, it's the main chorus repeated again and again. The chorus is sung softly at first until the climax when everything is played at full force and then slowly fades out. I don't like the way the song fades out on this part because nothing is really happening in the music; it makes for a weak and unmemorable ending.
Couple of suggestions:
-If the song went into the climax after the piano break, I think it would've been much more tolerable.
-Take out the bass solo (too flat and adds too much time)
-Place the guitar solo at the end of the song to create a much more interesting fade out and keep the listener engaged.  
I think its fine as the closer to the album, but these few qualities really take away from the impact the track could have had.
 
The songs individually are fairly strong, but I don't feel like that's where the strength of the album lies. Rather, I remember XII as a whole. I find it to be a fairly solid album from the start to finish having a smooth flow between songs, a uniform sound despite all songs being written by different members, and overall strong compositions. This is something their last few mini-albums lacked. 
 
Yes, the album doesn't have that recent hardcore and intense 12012 sound, but I'll trade a softer more refined album for a messy execution of a style that doesn't really match with them. I feel like this is a stable balance between their heavy and poppy sides. The album is brighter than Decida of Silence and The Swan but still retains a serious dark tone. I'm glad they're going on hiatus so they can take a break and perhaps think about what direction to go next, but I definitely don't want them to disband. I hope that they'll return with a fresh new release that continues to build on this style. 
 

 
[Kudos if you can guess where the skeleton image is from]

I have never been like that, the whole give me credit thing.  I can understand why it would piss you off and other people but to me, I'm like I just put this CD into a thingy and ripped it with a thingy?  Why do I need credit?  Instead of people crediting me I would rather them link to the bands official site or something lol.
 
But I agree with the wanting a like or thank you lol.  It makes me happy

This is a topic that has interested me for quite a while now, and I figured I should make a thread for it after what happened to kyoselflove on tumblr.
 
I think a lot of people who are avid sharers of music have experienced something as we call it "entitlement". Perhaps you feel like you have a right to listen to a new CD for free, or you get bugged by people on last.fm to share stuff. It's something that I've seen on MH too, especially in discussion threads, so to avoid further unrelated discussion in other threads, here you can talk about it all you want!
 
So, here are a few questions related to the subject of visual kei and music entitlement, I think this will generate better discussion than taking one very broad, open question.
 
1. Do you feel like you are entitled to free music? If you do, why? If you don't, why not?
2. How do you feel about people refusing to share their music because they want to support the band?
3. In relation to the second question, what do you think of people who tell others not to share something they themselves paid money for as they think its content is exclusively for those who paid for it?
4. Do you think entitlement to free music is worse in visual kei than in other communities?
5. How do you feel about people who deliberately share releases in low bitrates to encourage you to buy the CD?  Do you think that if someone does decide to share, you're entitled to the highest rip?
6. Have you ever been approached by people, either on Monochrome Heaven or last.fm, who wanted you to share something? If you didn't want to share, how did they react? What did you think of their reaction?
 
These are some starting questions. Just fill them out and add anything you'd like to add about the topic Also, keep it clean. I know opinions differ but they're not hurting anyone, so don't call someone scum for sharing your precious MEJIBRAY DVD. Okay? Okay. Other than that, discuss away!

Being a bit brave and coming back here with a different opinion (and having really wanted to catch up with the other new posts here).
I remember reading possibly on here or on last.fm about unknown VK bands, the indie ones, which only have released a couple of tracks and even disbanded. I get told a lot that there's always a reason a band is popular, and that I agree on of course. What I don't agree with is these small indie bands being called insignificant or bad. They should all be given a chance and since they're just starting out, they haven't even shown what they're all made of. Of course I'm guessing why most wouldn't bother with these little groups is because they probably all sound/look the same. But to me, (another unpopular opinion maybe?), the majority of bands which are major do not sound as inspiring and individual as these smaller groups. I really can't say I'm absolutely certain of this one to be honest, since I don't listen to a load of indie ones (and I'm like 99% wrong all the time), I feel like I'm letting out some steam or ranting after reading some negative responses to small bands. I mean, they were just starting out, every band becomes better over time. (ANOTHER unpopular opinion? xD) This is totally not aimed at anyone by the way, even if you disagree.
 
Oh yeah, I just remembered another one after looking through the thread again. And this one I'm not too worried or scared about saying because I totally stand by this and maybe it's not that unpopular. About when and how a band changes their style/music direction, I think that's always a good thing. Even if it's executed badly. This is because I think the band are showing that they're really trying to do their best, trying different styles, trying to be individual and out there. It's a breath of fresh air and also could even bring in more fans with a different style, and make comparing their old and new work interesting. To me, it's got a lot of pluses even if they're not as good as before. I'm sure everyone who's still reading have a couple of bands in mind about this one. xD

I'm also quite new to them, in that I've only listened to one or two tracks by them but I do have an whole album of theirs I'm looking forward to listening to. Their style is so silly looking to me that I find it fantastic. In my opinion, they're a bit like a cross between Oshare and Visual Kei, so I didn't know what to expect, I just gave them a shot and I really enjoy their music. I understand how it can't be everyone's cup of tea but I'm rather fond of them. : 3

Took a Retrica pic with my lil' sis >w<
She says hiiii ( ^-^ )/
Sorry for low res >_>"

At the end of the day, I guess Sadie has potential to write great music; but so does any group in Pop, Rock, or Metal. If the Beatles could go from an average Pop group to songwriting gods in the span of 3 years, then I'm sure Sadie could do the same. The question is: Do they want to? With their music, there is no inherent need to go out and try anything new and to challenge themselves as artists. The only thing that truly seems to factor into how a piece of music will sound, is the level of distortion on their guitars. Other than that, the forms and ideas they are constantly drawing from have all been the same.
 
Sadie could write something like this:
 

 
 
 
but I'm willing to put money down on the fact they never will. They will never sit there and go "hey, let's throw in some dense harmonies", or "hey let's not play in 4/4 for once". Instead they will keep doing what they are doing, in hope that their fans in Japan keep buying it.

Pretty difficult to choose a single era. I just picked early 2000s to late 2000s since the majority of my favourites debuted then and other favourites who debuted earlier released my most liked works by them then. And also, as already described, that era revealed other subgenres, making me feel more excited and interested in that particular era.
Awesome poll Aoi Mochi, thanks for another wonderful poll creation Cat. 
I'm getting more excited now, since already I wasn't expecting how the poll looks now. : 3
And now, it's more as I pictured it. xD

Late 90's to early 00's.  Miss it so much.  Love the outfits and crazy makeup.  The nice different yet experimental sounds of all the bands. I don't know just love it, plus that's when I first got into jrock, so yay for nostalgia! 
 
It is hard to choose though, because I love Lycaon and Mejibray lol.

Interesting, hmm... I do have a particular band that comes in mind when I read 'must make you... pumped, run around like crazy and punch the air.' It's Lycaon, and in particular, their song Psychedelic Jelly. I have never felt the need to jump about to a song before as much as this one lol, it makes me want to do a load of random 'acrobatic' crap in my room like what Thing 1 and Thing 2 do in the Cat in the Hat. xD Even though that drop is ridiculous and my sister just laughs at it, I'm there literally spazzing out along with it haha. Actually, just think of any random and insane electronic tune and I'll be up. xD

huehuehue

Pretty difficult to choose a single era. I just picked early 2000s to late 2000s since the majority of my favourites debuted then and other favourites who debuted earlier released my most liked works by them then. And also, as already described, that era revealed other subgenres, making me feel more excited and interested in that particular era.
Awesome poll Aoi Mochi, thanks for another wonderful poll creation Cat. 
I'm getting more excited now, since already I wasn't expecting how the poll looks now. : 3
And now, it's more as I pictured it. xD

Pretty difficult to choose a single era. I just picked early 2000s to late 2000s since the majority of my favourites debuted then and other favourites who debuted earlier released my most liked works by them then. And also, as already described, that era revealed other subgenres, making me feel more excited and interested in that particular era.
Awesome poll Aoi Mochi, thanks for another wonderful poll creation Cat. 
I'm getting more excited now, since already I wasn't expecting how the poll looks now. : 3
And now, it's more as I pictured it. xD

Awards are overrated and doesn't mean shit. All these big awards have been a joke since long before I got into films.
 
 
Also, The Room is fantastic. One of very few films I've given 1/10 (which equals so bad it's fantastic).

^ YES! GASK MASKS!! <3

They're going back to the gas mask look?

I think the only explanation for that would be good PR, most of the time with the right direction, styling and promotion people can be made to believe those celebs are really praise-worthy, do good things, etc. Like I've read somewhere that Justin Bieber has been donating money for some charity cause. That doesn't cancel the possibility that that cause was really important to him but at the same time it could be a clever publicity stunt. As to personal morals I think that celebs often allow themselves to do things they wouldn't be doing if they were poor and anonymous. In another words- money and fame give you the power Good to see that sometimes there are exceptions.
I think this songs by GC sums it up pretty nicely

I know it's a pretty lame explanation but I tried as I could
Hmm what do you want to be remembered by?

Bands should do this more often, this is quite exciting. :'3 Thank you for informing us Trombe, and thanks for the update Shir0. < 3

Literally spent all day editing the iTunes library for last.fm usage. Day well spent I think, apart from feeling super drained.
How? Remember, I'm just one hell of a lazy ass potato. >.>
 
 
^ This. You have damn awesome taste in avas/sigs DeadRose, hon. Totally agreeing with your above comment too! <3
 
@kyoselflove, good luck on reaching your target, you can do it!
@Shir0, oh dear, please, try not to sleep so much during the day, I do that all too much and it's a problem on college days since we get a detention if we're late. -.- Hope you can get some shut eye!
 
edit-badly structured response is badly structured, sorry..

Thanks benibana ^^
 
Sometimes I think about changing my signature but I love it too much haha xD