crossparallel

hi, i'm ryan... i've been lurking here since forever, created an account a few months ago, and lately something's been telling me i should try to talk here more.
i'm not terribly good with forums though - something about the way anything i'd say gets kept on the site forever seems to trip me out a bit.
and i'm not sure how much of value i'd have to comment - so, i'll try to make myself useful and get to posting some (probably wildly inaccurate) translations~

as far as me....... got into vkei with ナイトメア about when their s/t came out, haven't found a band that resonates more with me since.
p sure i can find something to like in just about any style/scene, but i really think vkei hit its golden age between 1997-2007. at least to me.
as of typing this i'm also stanning diru, mucc, the gallo, and meji pretty hard. and since 2014 i've been living in varying degrees of Worried About Royz.
 
IRL i work at a sushi/udon place, it's p great, and i'm trying to get the hang of this whole 'understanding and speaking japanese' thing. it's hard tho.
Oh, and i'm trying to get a band together. also hard.
and that's basically it for me because i have no life outside visual kei.

Nice to meet all of you though - even if i haven't said much anything before i owe y'all a lot for recommending a lot of my fav bands.
special shoutout to all the staff/mods, rarezhut guys, and everyone who translates band shit bc it'd be so much harder to get into this dumb scene without people like you putting in all the work.

Oh and @ everyone feel free to hmu on twitter, username's same there as here
 

Now is the time to introduce myself
 
Hello, I'm Takato, 17 years old and i'm from Germany. I've been a fan of Japanese music for several years.
My all-time favorite is UnsraW
 
In my free-time when im not listening music: Video games, playing Bass Guitar (im a beginner), reading Mangas or watching Movies/Animes. Oh, and I love cuddling. 
 
Im here to discover other bands, write with people with the same interests and to improve my english.
 
Nice to meet you. 
 
 
 
 

Yeah - I'm kinda late to this party and until a few months ago, I was totally a ghost on here.
I'm not that of a talkative type, I guess.

So I'm Chikage, 27 years old, Libra/Snake, Catlover and from a small town near Munich, Germany.
I'm on here since 2010 - at first only because I needed information on some bands, but afterwards as many of the users here for the downloads (lolz)
My favorite Bands are DIR EN GREY, Sukekiyo, DEATHGAZE, girugamesh, UnsraW, D'ERLANGER
also I listen to many other bands, but somehow I don't quite remember most of their names because unfortunately I fear by rememberin their names, they are already disbanded.
I play World of Warcraft and I'm also active as a roleplayer on textbase - most of the time those stories are about wolves mixed with fantasy.
I'm not really an interesting person and I'm a bad talker, because sometimes, when people send me messages, I won't answer them immediately - a really ugly bad habbit.
 
so far - thank you for accepting my ghost appearance until now

Maybe some examples might help?
 
These are really general, as both areas of music have a broad range of vocalists, but you still find certain styles more prevalent than others in different scenes.
 
Here are some really typical indie-rock style vocals:
 
 
Here are some poppy VK vocals:
 
 
 
Now if you're used to listening to music in the former group, would it be completely inconceivable to more closely associate cinema staff's mizuki with the latter group of vocalists?

@Carmelzors- already touched on a few things that I was going to, but to elaborate on my anecdote in the OP - well, you're correct. The people that said Mizuki sounds VK don't actually listen to VK, in fact a few of them downright despise the scene. However that doesn't mean their assessment is exactly invalid either. In general, J-indie fans are attuned to a different kind of singing than visual kei fans are (note that when i say J-indie fans, i'm not referring to people who listen to those "indie-pop-rock" bands or pop-rock that tries to come off as indie).
 
The fans i'm referring to are used to listening to bands that don't put a huge emphasis on the vocals - where the vocals are kind of secondary to the music, the lyrics, and the overall feeling/aesthetic. Whereas with VK - even tho you have a broad range of vocalists in the scene - more often than not, you can still generally tell when a vocalist is VK, as most of them have this kind of melodramatic/theatric flare to their voices, and as my Japanese friend says - a lot of them sound as if they have accents while they're singing as opposed to just singing "naturally". While that's debatable, you should at least be able to understand that when these hardcore J-indie fans hear a guy like Mizuki sing in the style that he does, it's very easy to lump him the same category or class of vocalists as VK - even if it's not completely accurate, it's still somewhere in the ballpark.
 
I can certainly relate because most of the J-rock I listened to before I got into J-indie was Visual Kei. In fact, I had a really tough time getting into J-indie because it seemed like a lot of the vocalists sounded really apathetic or just had really uncharacteristic voices - whereas with VK, the vocalists usually have a ton of quirks and nuances to their singing. They were just completely different styles. This is all very general of course, but I hope it helps illustrate the overall dichotomy of vocal styles between both scenes and how someone might possibly consider Mizuki as VK-sounding. 
 
@Carmelzors - it's funny because when I made this thread, I was much more focused on the bands' parallels and completely neglected the size of their respective discographies, so that's definitely a good point you made.
 
Personally, I have to go with cinema staff. When it comes to pop-rock bands with indie sensibilities, or just really poppy-sounding indie-rock - whatever you want to call it, I feel like cinema staff have this arena completely locked down, and I've personally not heard a band do it better. For me, they pretty much set the blueprint.. Even after going major, they've never released anything less than solid. They're STILL cranking out great tunes and haven't gone completely pop, despite a few scares here and there. Objectively speaking, they're definitely the more technical band here as well.
 
Chanty are really freaking good, though. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're one of my favorite active VK bands (even though I haven't thought too much about this). I do feel like they attempt to do more with their sound than cinema staff does as @doomboxnoted, but because of that, I also feel like it makes them less unique in a sense. Like, I could hear a cinema staff and instantly know it's a cinema staff song - they stand out amongst both their peers and the younger bands they've influenced (which kinda confers with @Carmelzors' point about their legacy). Whereas chanty just isn't as immediately recognizable and don't necessarily stand out from their peers in any spectacular fashion.
 
But anyways, it's cool to get everyone's different opinions on this. It's also interesting to see how this battle is playing out and what it says about mh's taste in general. I definitely didn't realize there were so many Chanty fans around.  

New video with content type A and B, the AC version from the album. 

Mata, Otsukisama sounds very Utsusemi-ish (or even from Ammonite, my likely guess) Manegoto sounds a lot like Pura stuff circa 2006-2007 and it has been stated already that Nekoyume is basically a self-cover (by his Neji side-project with guys from Té, around 2002-2003).
 
I wonder if there will be more than just one song off those early 90s sessions really (considering the amount of songs).

This topic needs
 
 
Also, vouching, Fuyu no Castanet is good. At least around the holidays ^^

This topic needs
 
 
Also, vouching, Fuyu no Castanet is good. At least around the holidays ^^

As December gets closer, I thought this would be a fun topic. Let's post some of the greatest christmas theme/christmas related vk songs! (or simply songs that makes you relate to christmas)
 
I'll start with two classics:
 
 
 

I got one for you guys: 
 
 

^ I was gonna post that one, damn
 
I'm pretty sure everyone's favorite goth boys emmurée had a christmas song, but sadly I can't remember the title from the top of my head
 
Also, I guess it's arguably not entirely christmas-y, but Guniw Tools' Fat December is still a fuckin jam.

Dude, you forgot the most unexpected VK christmas cover ever (and from your favorite band too):
 
(the first song)
 
The original
 
Also the song every Merry fan hates for some reason (yes, it's *A BIT* out of place on Under-world but it is cute nonetheless)
 
 

@togz I used my mad mouse drawing skillz to explain, hope it makes sense :v
Also, please don't pay attention to the grammar now since this is casual japanese.
 
A: nani sore? (what's that?) -- far from speaker
B: kore wa GREEN THING desu! (this is a GREEN THING!) -- close to speaker

When (A) says "what's that?" they mean to ask what is the thing that is far from the speaker (A) but close to the listener (B).
 
A: ja, are wa? (then, what's that?) -- far from both
B: ah! are wa MONSTER desu! (ah! that is a MONSTER!) -- far from both

Then, (A) asks what's that thing that's far from both of them, so they can't use "sore" -- it's far from the listener (B) too. In this case, use "are". (B) does the same, for the same reason.
 
A: dore ga MONSTER desu ka? (which one is the MONSTER?)
B: migi desu. hidari wa KAWAII NEKO desu ne. (the one on the right. the one on the left is a CUTE CAT, right?)

There are two things there, so (A) asks "which one" of those is the monster. (A) uses "dore" as a way to say "which one", it's a way to express a question. Of course we already know the monster is the one on the right, since the one on the left is a very, very realistic cat.
 
The same relation can be found on other examples with kono, koko, etc.
Just to clarify:
 
* when talking about something
- KOno... (this...) -- close to the speaker. | Ex.: kono KAWAII NEKO ga suki desu (I like this CUTE CAT)
- SOno... (that...) -- far from speaker, close to listener | Ex.: sono MONSTER ga kirai desu (I hate that MONSTER)
- Ano... (that...) -- far from both speaker and listener | Ex.: ano GREEN THING wo tabetai! (I want to eat that GREEN THING)
- DOno... (which...) -- the distance doesn't matter, it's used to express a question regarding something they don't know about | Ex.: Dono ningen ga ichiban oishii no ka? (which human is tastier?)
 
KOko, SOko, Asoko and DOko are the same, but about place. Here, doko is using to ask "what place", i.e. "where".
There are some other variations too, but it's always the same.
Hope it didn't sound too confusing...

I've been practicing a little in recent years, but I haven't been studying at all. Though practicing helps, I know I should study some too... >_>
As already mentioned above, I also use weblio & rikaichan/kun.
 
I started learning hiragana/katakana in high school (over 10 years ago) but I try to at least practice at times... I still don't know that many kanji though, mainly because I haven't been studying as I should. For character recognition (katakana, hiragana, kanji) and practicing, android's app Obenkyo works pretty well! I also try writing stuff from class in katakana/hiragana for practicing. But you see, if you're at this stage... PRACTICE A LOT. Like, write a lot, really, even if you have to spend 1 week on each row (a-i-u-e-o / ka-ki-ku-ke-ko / sa-shi-su-se-so / etc.). Practicing everyday, even if only five minutes, is very important. I started off with katakana and moved to hiragana when I finished it... but kept practicing it along with hiragana. Apps like Obenkyo help with memorizing and general recognition, but you have to write them in order to really learn them. Same with kanji.
 
For dictionaries, I use android's JED - Japanese-English Dictionary along with japanese-japanese dictionaries online and rikaichan. Plus google when looking for examples, of course. There's also this amazing website I found recently: http://chigai-allguide.com/
It helps you understand the nuances and differences between kanji that read the same way and seemily have the same meaning. It's also for japanese expressions. it's intended for japanese people, but having a somewhat good knowledge of the language helps you around it! You can look for specific words/expressions and find their definitions. Here's an example: http://chigai-allguide.com/怖いと恐いと強い/
Those two are read the same way, they have the same dictionary meaning and yet... they're not the same. This kind of thing helps learners a lot, since you can't easily find and understand it on your own.
 
Recently I've also been using an app to practice, it's called HelloTalk. It's not anything new, but the results were better than expected! It works like some kind of social media, one that you teach one (or more) language(s) and learn one (or more) languages in exchange. I'm teaching English and learning Japanese. You can see a timeline with posts from Japanese speakers who are learning English, be it in Japanese or English, and you can like, comment and... correct them. There's a special tool for that, and believe it or not, that very tool helps A LOT. There are also built-in translators, romanizators, you can even hear how things are supposed to be pronounced. You can also post your own stuff about your local culture and language, or anything you want, and interact with people... those interactions help you talk to people through the chat (they often initiate the conversation, but you can do it, too), that also allows corrections, readings, translations, romaji, etc., plus voice messages. I think even video messages are used, but I haven't done that. Anyway, it's pretty useful... it helps you practice everyday through conversation and you can actually ask for help without it feeling too awkward -- people are there for the same purpose as you afterall, that is learning & teaching. That's why you can also correct them, they are expecting to be corrected, as you also should. The key for using this is not being afraid to make mistakes and ask people to correct you when you're wrong, talking to them in japanese everyday is surprisingly effective... it makes thinking, understanding, reasoning and creating phrases in japanese a lot easier. Also be aware that japanese people will often compliment your Japanese even if it's not very good, it's just this cultural thing... apparently. Also they'll say "Wow, your japanese is so good!!" and think "(...for a foreigner)" lol.
 
I'm someone who has a hard time studying but prefers learning things through action, it makes things a little difficult at times. Still, studying makes it better, so it's good if you can do it too. If I remember something else, I'll post it here!
Anyway, let's practice together here too~~~! よろしく！m(_ _)m

Also,
 
For those who are actually gonna look into this lol, you will find a ton of different names for this genre.
 
Witch House
Drag
Rape Gaze
Haunted House
Dark Trap
Occult House
Dark Ambient
Witch Wave
 
Have fun is all I'm gonna say.
It started out as some spoopy experimental shit when I first started listening, but now it's crazy how much people like it.
 
Be warned though.
The scene is polluted with hipsters lol
A lot of Purists too.
 
You will get mad shit if you confuse Witch House with Vaporwave or SeaPunk (this shit is hilarious) or Health Goth.
Honestly......it's the same shit lol.
All Dark Music
 
The Russian WH scene is crazy right now.

Hey!
 
I recently started digging deeper in this genre and I really like it, here's a short description:
 
I had listened to Crystal Castles for a long time before I wanted to try other bands in the same genre. As I said, I just started digging deeper and I don't know much about it but I guess this could be a general topic if someone else likes this genre.
 
Some popular bands are: 
∆AIMON
Balam Acab
Bruxa
Clams Casino
Crystal Castles
Crim3s
Glass Teeth (stylized as GL▲SS †33†H)
Holy Other
Horse MacGyver (formerly ///▲▲▲\\\)
Mascara (stylized as M△S▴C△RA)
oOoOO
Purity Ring
Ritualz (stylized as †‡†)
Salem
Zola Jesus
 
I made a playlist today with some of these bands, if anyone wanna check it out
 
 
If someone has recommendations then please post that as well! Would love to explore more of this genre.

I just realized that Kenzi must have changed his mind recently in regards to this opinion, because this is from 2015:

 
Look awfully feminine to me. lol Not that I mind I'm just saying kind of contradictory to the idea that he doesn't like dresses and stuff. lol  
 

TBH, I really don't care for either bands.  I only went with Anti Feminism because they sometimes still release new stuff once in a blue moon.
 
I'm really surprised that a lot of VK fans didn't know that.  One of the reasons why Kenzi hated the feminism image in VK is because when Kamaitachi went majory, Toy's Factory forced him to be the feminine character in Kamaitachi. 

They really don't though. It's a misunderstanding. The Japanese word feminism used to mean "man who dresses feminine", and apparently Kenzi didn't like dresses and stuff in vk. He actually was questioned about the band name during their EU/US tour and he said he had no idea that feminism had a different meaning in the west.
 
Anyway, musically I don't really care for either of them. But i've seen both live and AF are better live then Piass, so AF.

If I can be frank for a second, I'm disappointed how easily distracted people are.
 
It's only been two days and there are already countless arguments about the merits and harms of file sharing. That doesn't address the real point of why we are currently in the situation we are in right now. Our hand was played and the staff was not happy. One member who goes by the name of @Kawaii_Minpha decided it would be cute to troll the staff and the website by threatening to report us to the RIAJ unless we gave in to her demands, which among other things called for banning members she does not like. If you read the messages sent to us, it turns from funny to sad in an instant. What pisses me off personally is how someone would try to ruin what we have going here for kicks. Even threatening to do so is worthy of an instant ban and I should not have to explain why.
 
As an aside, I don't really care how you feel about file sharing - facts are that if you are here, you are guilty by association - but these last few days have proven that without Monochrome Heaven there's nowhere for anyone to go. Downloads can always find a new home but to find another place where you can have mature, constructive discussions about Japanese music in an open environment will be much harder. And that place could never exist without free music so people can talk about it, because the barrier for entry is too high. We have to recognize the role that piracy plays in all our lives. That's why saying "buy music to support your favorite artists" is not the be all, end all answer. It's a good answer, but it's more complicated than that. No one here woke up one day and decided to buy Dir en grey albums on a whim. Japanese bands became our favorite bands because we pirated music long enough to become devoted enough to pay for it. Some people are at different stages of their fandom. This website has found the perfect balance of both piracy and discussion while also managing to be inclusive of all styles of Japanese music and there's nowhere else on the internet that even comes close to this. That's awesome.
 
That's why this situation has the staff thinking about what we exist for. This website may not mean much to many members here beyond downloads but the staff has poured countless hours of time and energy into investing in the website and the community. Are we harming the scene? Yeah, no doubt. But we probably do a lot of good as well. With the countless messages I've gotten over the last few days about "where all the free music went" I'm not convinced we can do good without doing some harm as well. The tools are not in place to promote visual kei globally without piracy, and I doubt there ever will be. The scene wouldn't be what it is today if it weren't for all of us here. We either take the good with the bad or abstain entirely.
 
There is more to this website than just downloads and the constant activity over the last few days proves that this community is strong. Stronger than even we may have realized ourselves. This is awesome, keep up the good work! Having said that, I've thought a lot about Kevin from Batsu and how he freaked out and deleted the download section when he thought the feds were coming for him. His approach was blunt, but I understand how he felt. He figured Batsu could weather the storm and would be better for it...and that unfortunately did not work out. If push came to shove we would make a similar decision, and that's why for the last two years we have been working hard to provide other reasons for people to come back here. While the download section is offline I implore you all to go check out the News, Rumors, Review, and General sections to start. There's enough tea there to keep you sipping until things are finalized.
 
The staff is still ironing out the details so expect more information soon. I can confidently say that the news will come as a shock to everyone but some people will not notice and others will.
 
Consider this an early morning rant.

Hey, Just thought I'd introduce myself. 
 
I have been listening to Visual kei/J-Rock for over a decade now. 
My current favourites are Mejibray, The Gallo, Dadaroma, D among others
and some older bands such as Megaromania, Malice Mizer, Vior gloire etc.
 
Aside from Japanese music I also like drawing, writing and listening to a few western bands, my favourite of which is The Rasmus.
 
I look forward to getting to know some of you.
If you want to ask me anything feel free

Lurker crisis
 
Watch how all the VK UPLOADS ~DEMON ANDROID~ blogspots and facebooks suddenly stop updating their pages.

newbies be all like: