qotka

Nero is amazing for uploading this video and speaking up. My friend and I experienced this recently and got called "ayashii" pretty much to our faces (they thought we couldn't understand Japanese). They asked us to show our resident cards, emptied our wallets and looked at the names on our credit cards. They also asked personal questions about my family. It was really humiliating but we complied because we didn't want to get in trouble. The real kicker was when they noticed my friend has a Yoshiki credit card and started talking to us about X Japan as if they were our  friends. It took all the restraint in the world to not tell them to go fuck themselves. 
 
 

Nero is amazing for uploading this video and speaking up. My friend and I experienced this recently and got called "ayashii" pretty much to our faces (they thought we couldn't understand Japanese). They asked us to show our resident cards, emptied our wallets and looked at the names on our credit cards. They also asked personal questions about my family. It was really humiliating but we complied because we didn't want to get in trouble. The real kicker was when they noticed my friend has a Yoshiki credit card and started talking to us about X Japan as if they were our  friends. It took all the restraint in the world to not tell them to go fuck themselves. 
 
 

Nero is amazing for uploading this video and speaking up. My friend and I experienced this recently and got called "ayashii" pretty much to our faces (they thought we couldn't understand Japanese). They asked us to show our resident cards, emptied our wallets and looked at the names on our credit cards. They also asked personal questions about my family. It was really humiliating but we complied because we didn't want to get in trouble. The real kicker was when they noticed my friend has a Yoshiki credit card and started talking to us about X Japan as if they were our  friends. It took all the restraint in the world to not tell them to go fuck themselves. 
 
 

Nero is amazing for uploading this video and speaking up. My friend and I experienced this recently and got called "ayashii" pretty much to our faces (they thought we couldn't understand Japanese). They asked us to show our resident cards, emptied our wallets and looked at the names on our credit cards. They also asked personal questions about my family. It was really humiliating but we complied because we didn't want to get in trouble. The real kicker was when they noticed my friend has a Yoshiki credit card and started talking to us about X Japan as if they were our  friends. It took all the restraint in the world to not tell them to go fuck themselves. 
 
 

Nero is amazing for uploading this video and speaking up. My friend and I experienced this recently and got called "ayashii" pretty much to our faces (they thought we couldn't understand Japanese). They asked us to show our resident cards, emptied our wallets and looked at the names on our credit cards. They also asked personal questions about my family. It was really humiliating but we complied because we didn't want to get in trouble. The real kicker was when they noticed my friend has a Yoshiki credit card and started talking to us about X Japan as if they were our  friends. It took all the restraint in the world to not tell them to go fuck themselves. 
 
 

Nero is amazing for uploading this video and speaking up. My friend and I experienced this recently and got called "ayashii" pretty much to our faces (they thought we couldn't understand Japanese). They asked us to show our resident cards, emptied our wallets and looked at the names on our credit cards. They also asked personal questions about my family. It was really humiliating but we complied because we didn't want to get in trouble. The real kicker was when they noticed my friend has a Yoshiki credit card and started talking to us about X Japan as if they were our  friends. It took all the restraint in the world to not tell them to go fuck themselves. 
 
 

this video is what i signed up for when i got into vkei. i hope this bands stays around forever.

CURE Vol.180
http://cure-net.shop-pro.jp/?pid=133500727
😀

why does it sound like they recorded it in a karaoke room

cannot believe gackt is finally coming out with new music/visuals!!

umm....
 

 

behold the collab of the century

To coincide with her debut 20th anniversary, 椎名林檎 (Shiina Ringo) will release a new full-length album as well as a new live video on DVD/Blu-ray on 2019/05/27.
 
The album titled "三毒史" (Sandokushi) will be released in two types: regular edition CD and limited edition CD in a hardcover book case. The album will feature an array of guest artists such as Miyamoto Hiroji (Elephant Kashimashi), Tortoise Matsumoto (Ulfuls), Mukai Shuutoku (Zazen Boys, Number Girl), Ukigumo (ex-Tokyo Jihen, Petrolz), Hizumi Masayuki (a.k.a. H ZETT M) and Sakurai Atsushi (BUCK-TICK).
 
Tracklist:
01. 鶏と蛇と豚 (Niwatori to hebi to buta)
02. 獣ゆく細道 (Kemono yuku hosomichi) with Miyamoto Hiroji
03. マ・シェリ (Ma Chérie)
04. 駆け落ち者 (Kakeochisha) with Sakurai Atsushi
05. どん底まで (Donzoko made)
06. 神様、仏様 (Kamisama, hotokesama) with Mukai Shuutoku
07. ＴＯＫＹＯ
08. 長く短い祭 (Nagaku mijikai matsuri) with Ukigumo
09. 至上の人生 (Shijou no jinsei)
10 急がば回れ (Isogabamaware) with Hizumi Masayuki
11. ジユーダム (Jiyuu-dom)
12. 目抜き通り (Menukidoori) with Tortoise Matsumoto
13. あの世の門 (Anoyo no mon)
 
 
The footage of the upcoming live DVD/Blu-ray "(生)林檎博'18 ―不惑の余裕―" was recorded on her debut 20th anniversary tour, and will feature the following:
 
機知との遭遇 -Sound&Vivision-
本能
流行
雨傘
日和姫
APPLE
マ・シェリ
積木遊び
個人授業
どん底まで
神様、仏様
化粧直し
カーネーション
ありきたりな女
いろはにほへと
歌舞伎町の女王
人生は夢だらけ
東京は夜の七時
長く短い祭
旬
恋の呪文はスキトキメキトキス
ちちんぷいぷい
目抜き通り(2018年11月22日)
獣ゆく細道
ジユーダム
悲しみの果て
五右衛門
きらきら武士
夢のあと
-ending-
丸ノ内サディスティックneetskills remix
-bonus track-
はいはい (2018年11月22日)
余裕み時間 (MC集)
 
You can already view some full songs from it on Youtube (putting it behind a spoiler tag cuz it's a lot of videos). They might not start if you play them here, but if you click on the YT titles and open them on YT they should work.
 
 

 
....Okay, I admit I just made this thread cuz it's pretty killer both Atsushi and Mukai are collabing with her.  

THE BEST HEISEI ERA BAND WTF THIS IS SO FUCKN CONCEPTUAL I LOVE EVERY SINGLE SECOND
 
 

I would bet that many people did. But like I said before, I wasn't very happy when I saw it. I didn't make a big stink of it, but I did not check Chanty out for quite some time simply because of that stunt. The first time I heard anything from Chanty was when someone put it on a mix, and then I swiped the mini and proceeded to never listen to it. I wasn't sad either when one of the members announced departure. I also refuse to review any of their material here. So these kinds of things do bother me and I do the things I can to express my displeasure, but I also realize that outside of here I have no power to change those attitudes.
 
 
But that is the way Japan is! Even if there are other races in Japan, Japan has been and primarily will be Japanese. Japanese customs and culture dominates there and it goes way back, and all that history has an impact on the present. They have exposure to some parts of western culture but a lot of context is lost in translation, and that doesn't displace their culture, and race is one of those things. As a result, their culture puts less value on racial issues than ours does. It's unfortunate, and with time those attitudes can change, but right now that's the way it is. I don't like it, but I have no choice but to accept it. My country is still in the process of sorting its own racial issues out, so I'm willing to extend some patience to them in this aspect.
 

And I think this is the most important thing you said. It means SOMETHING, and that something is definitely unsavory, but that doesn't mean we can generalize about the political and religious beliefs of an entire race of people. The same thing goes for use of nazi imagery in visual kei.  I know that they know what that symbolizes, and that it is insensitive, hateful, and inflammatory. I bet some artists do it for the shock value, some are more radicalized and believe in it, and some aren't associated with it at all. Plenty of songs feature speech snippets from Hitler, Goebbels, and the like, but these clips are used in many contexts. The simple inclusion of these clips doesn't mean they are automatically neo-nazis.

There was a poster in here I had to censor because they wrote several long manifestos, but between the ranting there was some lucid thoughts that do add some context to this discussion. They mentioned lyrics from several visual kei bands that could be interpreted as one or more band members having radical beliefs. Unfortunately, they did not include an English translation, so I can't verify. Can anyone find translations for the following songs so we can decide on our own?

Avanchick - Jinsei Game
 

THE GALLO - Maou -Yami Uta-
 

D.I.D. - nihilism.
 
 

It's kinda sad how it doesn't shock people. I'm sure many people found Chanty's blackface hilarious, the same way they associate black people with exaggerated gestures and funny intonations - pretty much the only representation they get in Japanese media.
 
It's sad mostly because Japan is not as homogeneous as the mainstream narrative goes. The people they find so hilarious work with them, go to school with them (or with their children), teach them English and live in the same neighborhoods with them. Plus they're exposed to western culture through media. So while I understand why it's not shocking (the discourse on race in Japan is... different), I don't think it's a reason to shrug and say 'oh well that's just the way Japan is'.
 
So did they mean anything by it? Not a big political statement, but using the same tired portrayal of black people for comedy is saying SOMETHING.
 
 

It's kinda sad how it doesn't shock people. I'm sure many people found Chanty's blackface hilarious, the same way they associate black people with exaggerated gestures and funny intonations - pretty much the only representation they get in Japanese media.
 
It's sad mostly because Japan is not as homogeneous as the mainstream narrative goes. The people they find so hilarious work with them, go to school with them (or with their children), teach them English and live in the same neighborhoods with them. Plus they're exposed to western culture through media. So while I understand why it's not shocking (the discourse on race in Japan is... different), I don't think it's a reason to shrug and say 'oh well that's just the way Japan is'.
 
So did they mean anything by it? Not a big political statement, but using the same tired portrayal of black people for comedy is saying SOMETHING.
 
 

It's kinda sad how it doesn't shock people. I'm sure many people found Chanty's blackface hilarious, the same way they associate black people with exaggerated gestures and funny intonations - pretty much the only representation they get in Japanese media.
 
It's sad mostly because Japan is not as homogeneous as the mainstream narrative goes. The people they find so hilarious work with them, go to school with them (or with their children), teach them English and live in the same neighborhoods with them. Plus they're exposed to western culture through media. So while I understand why it's not shocking (the discourse on race in Japan is... different), I don't think it's a reason to shrug and say 'oh well that's just the way Japan is'.
 
So did they mean anything by it? Not a big political statement, but using the same tired portrayal of black people for comedy is saying SOMETHING.
 
 

| It's a fact that this single is compelling enough to check out.

My dislike of live limited and live distributed releases is well known on this website by now, but I'm more than willing to make an exception for split singles. The new MUCC×DEZERT live distributed split 蟲／ガチャガチャムクムク (Mushi/Gachagacha-Mukumuku) grabs my interest more than usual. I follow DEZERT casually and I followed MUCC a little less casually back in the prime days of international visual kei, but both bands underwent a change in direction that blunted my hype. As two bands that I don't actively follow anymore, I found it very interesting that each band wrote a song for the other to perform. I was more interested in knowing what DEZERT would create for MUCC to perform, considering my reaction to their recent change in sound, but MUCC are no slouches themselves.

It was MUCC's song that surprised me more. The speed and attitude of "蟲" (Mushi) is what I was hoping for more of from TODAY, and it fits DEZERT like a glove. If there were any doubts as to whether DEZERT could even be heavy anymore, this song erased them. It's a bittersweet feeling knowing that the ability is there but the desire to create music like this is not, because "ガチャガチャムクムク" (Gachagacha-Mukumuku) is more along the lines of what one can expect DEZERT to create.

If DEZERT did a good job covering "蟲" (Mushi) , then MUCC absolutely owned "ガチャガチャムクムク" (Gachagacha-Mukumuku). If I didn't know that DEZERT wrote this song, I could be reasonably convinced that this is an MUCC track inspired by their 鵬翼 (Houyoku) era. That's a huge compliment to DEZERT's composing skills. It's slightly better than average - I do think the song gets more engaging as it goes on - but it's not a song I see myself revisiting again and again.

I have to note that this split is making several statements at once. It seems that MUCC is showing DEZERT how to switch their sound up without having to abandon rock. DEZERT wants to show the world that if you like their compositions when performed by MUCC, maybe you could grow to like it if they performed it too. This is a senior band mentoring a junior band through a turbulent time in their musical career in a constructive manner, and I would like to see more of this in general.

蟲／ガチャガチャムクムク does a good job at showing the flexibility of both bands. It's a great way for MUCC to get additional exposure, and it's a great way for DEZERT to convince old fans and gain new ones. I'm unsure if either band fully won me back with just one song, but I am much more likely to check out their future releases because of this. If you like either band, I would recommend you check this novelty out, but try not to judge them by it too much.
 
 

I banned myself from listening to vkei on public transportation because of this.

Yes! 
 
A while back a friend sent me a couple of videos from a Radiohead concert back home and all I could hear was the audience. The whole thing sounded like a karaoke night at the local pub. Which means fun, but wouldn't pay for it as much as I would pay to see a band I actually care about. 
 
Just a couple of days ago I took a friend of mine to see a band she's been a fan of for nearly a decade, and I thought she'd be excited. She was just confused by the audience participation, the furi seemed 'fake' to her, the stage props and theatricality seemed to really put her off and all she could say by the end of the live was 'well that was... interesting'. Instead of getting defensive it made me think about how this live culture is unique and beautiful and yes, outsiders might just not get it and it's fine. It emphasized for me the dissonance people might feel when they don't just listen to the music, but for the first time experience the visual and 'performative'(?) aspects of the scene, and this is one of the things I love so much about vkei.  
 
 

oh yeah that's definitely her. the shop is called yellow house and last time i went in the granny told me something along the lines of 'i don't go to yoshiki, he comes to me'. 

oh yeah that's definitely her. the shop is called yellow house and last time i went in the granny told me something along the lines of 'i don't go to yoshiki, he comes to me'. 

oh yeah that's definitely her. the shop is called yellow house and last time i went in the granny told me something along the lines of 'i don't go to yoshiki, he comes to me'. 

oh yeah that's definitely her. the shop is called yellow house and last time i went in the granny told me something along the lines of 'i don't go to yoshiki, he comes to me'.