frayed

I was surprised to hear so many negative feelings about Mukade. But then I remembered that initially it didn’t really do anything for me either, lol; it’s  meant to be a live song, and that’s where it really shines imho. 

That’s just the unfortunate thing about Eiki. I really do enjoy this song, but unless it’s a tour final, they don’t drag Koichi’s big bass everywhere. So then at the smaller live houses, at the points where that big bass would really shine, there’s literally just nothing there. As far as I can hear there’s no back track for it, and I’ve seen Koichi just stand there before without playing and waiting for the moment to pass. I still enjoy the song, but - like I said, just unfortunate.

I was saying elsewhere, Koichi didn’t announce this project outright at his birthday live, but he did flat out say he’d be seeing us next year and it’s no real stretch of imagination to think he has this in mind. Whatever the conflict they had with their label, pretty ballsy to throw a plug for a new project into the last moments of Mejibray before their hiatus IMHO.

So here we have I guess Tsuzuku and Koichi’s new project?

https://www.instagram.com/8psb_official

Thoughts?

I used to be really stubborn about getting into new music. Being with my girlfriend broadened my perspective a lot, so I’m way better than I used to be.

Some bands/songs appeal to me right away. Some take me hearing the right song. Sometimes it about hearing the right song in the right context, or hearing the song enough times to be able to find something I like in it. Some bands I can only enjoy live, and then when I go home and try to listen to the CD they do nothing for me. Some bands put together a kickass CD and then I go to the live and wow I think they’re awful in person.

It’s the vocalist I usually get the most hung up on. It can be an objectively good voice, but if they don’t do it for me it’s really hard to give the music a fair chance.

Seconding that the bands aren’t really losing money from people pirating, and no, not everyone is in the position to be able to buy things so easily. This goes double for casual fans. And honestly if not for piracy, most people wouldn’t have a way to get to know these bands in the first place, myself included. 

On the flip side, just to be real: not true for everyone, obviously, but man I’ve met a lot of cheap vkei fans. I briefly offered to do a shopping service kind of deal once and fuck, never again. Only for friends. It’s just not worth the stress of being nickeled and dimed by people when the prices aren’t even your decision. Moreover, if or when someone goes to the trouble to rip something - it costs less than cash to thank someone for their effort, but it’s like pulling teeth. Much less asking for anyone to link back to the source on the rip. And then people get demanding for more rips and it’s like ????

I don’t forsee any change, but I just wish people were kinder to each other in this regard I guess.

Interested.

Buck-Tick’s Gessekai was used as the opening theme for Nightwalker (which shamelessly borrowed some ideas from Interview with the Vampire lolol). I’ll always remember it fondly because I randomly grabbed the DVD off a shelf at Blockbuster and it was my first encounter with Buck-Tick. Also shout out to La’cryma Christi’s Mirai Kouro as the ending theme. Memories...

5 hours ago, meat said:

Thanks for a great thread. I haven't been to gigs in Japan for more than 10 years but I think this may still be relevant for many gaijins going to gigs in Japan where there are crowd surfers: If you are taller than most bangyas (anywhere above 160cm I reckon) don't stand too near to the middle or the front, and take out big ear jewelleries like industrial bars. Being 170cm,I got kicked in the back of head a lot and my ears kept getting grabbed :/

Can’t vouch for jewelry but as far as height I’d say it depends on the band you’re seeing - most of the acts I saw recently don’t do crowd surfing. It was only Gazette, come to think of it. I’m tall and I’ve been fine standing more or less anywhere.

Usually I’ll apologize to the gya behind me for being so tall in Japanese and make sure they can see alright. (This is in no way required, it’s your spot and you’re entitled to it, it’s just something I personally like doing.) Half the time this opens up the window for them to talk to me since they realize I can.

Yup, it’s about that time of the year. “Influenza” might as well be a dirty word in winter.

Sounds good! I'm really excited to finally hear some new material from him! This sounds like it would be right at home with MeoteoroiD's sound before they disbanded, which is fine by me since I loved it, haha.

SINGIN IN THE REIGN OH MY GOD I LOVE IT

10 minutes ago, Alroy said:

Did MiA write each and every Mejibray song though? Are there any songwriting credits available?

There are; it was mostly him and Tsuzuku writing the music I think. 

I think they’ll continue. It sounds like there’s some raw feelings there (especially from Setsuna), but they sound pretty determined to press forward. Also, here’s some translations for you:

https://www.jrocknews.com/2018/01/guitarist-pitty-makes-sudden-departure-morrigan.html

I kind of really hope they don’t drop the bears. They’re mid-tour now so who knows when they’ll get a replacement, but best of luck to them in any case. 

Here is what I gather, and feel free to correct me or to expand on the details: Pitty was initially thought to be ill and checked into a hospital. However, he since checked out and did not communicate with the members after the fact in spite of their efforts to contact him. As a result, he is no longer part of the band.

What a PITTY.

No, seriously.  I had a bad feeling when they didn’t update us on his condition for so long, but I was hoping for the best.

11 minutes ago, JukaForever said:

Holy crap, I didn't spot one grammar mistake in his back

Yeah I was like “who the hell did you get to proof read this?!” Haha.

Come what may in June, we know at least Tsuzuku will be there. They’ve made that abundantly clear. We just have to see who else is involved. I wonder if it is a band is they’ll have revolving members like Mejibray was supposed to back in the beginning? Guess only time will tell!

Koichi has started a new Twitter and Instagram and  seemingly cut off his hair:

https://www.instagram.com/koichi_niiyama

1 hour ago, sads123 said:

Could you share the setlist for the Koichi birthday live? Ever since the announcement of the hiatus, the japanese fanbase seemed to stop updating their setlists on their blogs or public platforms like dailysetlist and I found it damn weird.

1、DIE KUSSE
2、Black baccarat
3、CRAZED BRAIN
4、VICTIM(ism)
5、マダリ
6、【worms】
7、Invisible Tower maker
8、hatred × tangle red × hunger red
9、KILLING ME
10、サバト
11、VIOLET
12、DISTANCE.exe
13、蜈蚣
14、原罪の林檎
15、嘘と愚行-それもまた人間らしいって神様は笑ってるの-
16、枷と知能 -それってとても人間らしいって神様は笑ってるの-
17、DECADANCE - Counting Goats … if I can't be yours -

1 hour ago, suji said:

tanuki talks about everybody. They are a gossip blog, not a news source. I don't understand the worship nor the need to rely on it so much when all it is is a gossip blog for teenage girls. jfc

Thank you, thank you, so much THIS.

1 hour ago, chemicalpictures said:

I think I'm out of the loop. Anyone kind enough to enlighten me?

I’m going to try and cliff note this and if anyone else wants to chime in feel free.

I think it was in April (???) that Mejibray’s Youtube channel’s name was changed to Forum Official. Another band was added that no one gave a shit about it. People assumed or hoped that was the reason why.

Then in May, after the first show on the Hangman tour which was completely normal, they posted that announcement on the homepage and all about the hiatus. After that, there were no more encores. Moreover, there were no more MCs. Tsuzuku didn’t talk to audiences at all (bar shouting the name of the city and maybe “Mejibray”).  A lot of fans are of the mind that he was essentially gagged by the label and prohibited from speaking. No way to know this for sure, but it felt like it. Also worth noting is the instores switched from talks to 2shots before any of this. Also no way to know for sure this is related. 

Most of their one-mans ended with BI”name”JIKA. Sometimes Decadance.

Mobile member content was really sporadic from there. Even the staff blog hasn’t had images added since the beginning of the last tour.

Fast forward to the tour final at Shinkiba Studio Coast. Tsuzuku and Koichi emerged painted black. They’d each done this once previously this year. The live was 14 songs instead of 15. This may or may not have been deliberate as Tsuzuku had collapsed and stayed down at the last song, seemingly overwhelmed. Koichi went to him and checked on him before stepping in front of him and seemingly flipping off the staff at the back and then holding up three fingers to the audience. The curtain finally closed.

Koichi’s birthday was a lot more fun. During the breaks between songs at one point, rather than facing the drums, Tsuzuku faced outwards, staring at the audience. He still didn’t speak; it was Koichi that spoke at the end, remarking on the challenges of the year and said we’d meet again next year. Everyone was crying, but the general air was optimistic after the live.

Then when the end of December hit, an announcement was posted on Mejibray’s OHP declaring that Tsuzuku’s and Koichi’s contracts had expired and to wish them the best in the future. Koichi’s Twitter and Instagram have been wiped clean. Meto’s birthday live where he will be providing vocals under a different name was announced. Mia is busy as fuck all spring with various projects and sessions.

So it’s basically been a massive clusterfuck. _(:3」z)_

This is a really well compiled list. Thank you!

One tiny thing though, I’m pretty sure Egoist actually disbanded after their singer dropped off. The other guitarist, Akina, went on to join Devil Kitty not too long after the fact - and have a major health scare because literally this band was fucking cursed this year.

Also I don't know if this matters, but I just noticed that on the OHP it says the DVD will have a 16 page booklet - which clearly justifies paying 6,000 yen for 14 songs. (Alright, alright, I'm done being salty about it.)

In my opinion, I don't find MiA average. I admit to being biased, but I'm usually pretty good at saying when my faves aren't actually that awesome. 

However, I do want to see him in more situations that challenge what he's capable of as a guitarist and to switch things up a little. He went to a high school specifically for guitar, he composed most of Mejibray's music, and from watching him - not to negate his showmanship, because he's always really fun to watch, but he makes his solos look so easy I feel like he could play them asleep at this point. I'll never be happy about this hiatus, but I'd like to see him do something exciting and different. (Not to say networking isn't a factor at all, boy networks his ass off lol.)

Also, re: shady business practices, SO MUCH THIS.

1 hour ago, Manji 卍 said:

The only thing I want is: meto as the vocalist of MEJIBRAY (if he's really good and tzk don't come back). And koichi and Tzk with a new project at the right time. 

I’m a little afraid that this is what’s going to happen and I really don’t want it. I’m fine with the members moving on if that’s what they want to do and I’d support them, but I can’t be okay with them using “Mejibray” without Tsuzuku. Just do something new.

Also, MiA is a great guitarist. However you like or don’t like him as a person, no denying his skill. 

25 minutes ago, Zeus said:

What we can accomplish?

Forum is the name of the label (or sub-label?). Not this forum.

1 hour ago, emmny said:

i don't get why people arent literally shocked at this mejidrama like i know their popularity died in foreign fandom but this drama is literally WILD i have never seen management fuck over a band so hard, especially because it was literally tsuzuku's brainchild

So much this. I feel like it’s because it’s Tsuzuku that people are just kind of laughing it off. But honestly it’s fucked all around.

 I just don’t get what Forum is trying to accomplish here. Like this seems like a massive PR nightmare no matter how you swing it.