Pretsy

Ringo Sheena announced a new song "Kamisama, Hotokesama", which will be a theme song for an "isai vivid" smartphone commercial. The song will also feature Shutoku Mukai from ZAZEN BOYS and NUMBER GIRL fame as a co-vocalist/guitarist (you can hear his vocals vaguely in the end of the sample below - ro69 assumes that he will be responsible for "rapping" in the same vein as that guy from Maboroshi in "Ryuukou") No other details known, Taiwanese/Chinese fans are expecting the single announcement to come out after her Taipei gig(s) though. Commercial: Very Jihen-y so far!

...so what was the point of Kannivalism these days? ps. anyone willing to open up a bit on Yuchi's actual input in Kannivalism's music? Afaik, Kei was the sole composer of that band, right? I really bet Yuchi doesn't give a shit at this point either - spookykyo gets more ¥¥¥ than these two hasbeens and it's kinda given already.

Question: is that "new SE" something in the vein of "and Zero" or does it have some new elements compared to their other SEs? Details would be cool since Dir tends to showcase album intros VERY early (e.g. "sa bir" during Moab/Dozing promo tour)

Their latest album...wasn't that great in all honesty. Talk about total hype-killer

This time I am about "intentional inspiration" (as in based on band's revelation - fun fact): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_OeXk-G1Lg This song had "Radiohead" as its working title back in 1996, and this naming leads to the fact that the band enjoyed this piece while making the said song: "Kinda" same-ish

@Tetora: I don't want to nudge with "genre wisdom" here but as far as bands in the vein of Radwimps, LTS or even 9mm are concerned, they are usually considered as post-hardcore/indie hybrid bands with various influences in their home country (e.g. LTS sporting heavy prog/post-rock infuences in most of their lengthy songs). Also: just because you have tapping pattern as the main feat/attraction in your song doesn't make it "math rock" (by that logic we could lump a massive number of vk songs into "math", which is defo absurd) - "math metal" wtf?! Sorry, I felt like throwing this out of my chest v_v

The content's generally catchy, much more accessible compared to DSS or even Uroboros but it's still retaining the heavy-ish edge - you could say the same while comparing Vulgar or WtD to Kisou or Macabre for instance: the former albums certainly sport much more "digestible" content compared to the first-listen "clustershock" (a la portmanteau of "clusterfuck" and "shock", you name it) that latter releases (Kisou/Macabre) are known for. edit: Dir has been always experimental, emmny - even MOAB had many occasions which standard -core/nu metal acts couldn't really think of putting in aside from oogabooga and bounce riffs. Yes, the order in Arche is totes messy as me, Stallion and many others have pointed out many times- but not to the extent of being like "Kisou"-tier effed up. Songs aren't excessively lengthy either, and are rather simplified in a sense (e.g. Un Deux, STU). Visual-wise their theme is more or less back-to-2004 as well (feel free to disagree but that era surely made its pleasant comeback during Arche promos) - not to mention the main set of "surprise songs" (MINUS Gauze tour) they tend to play every now and then in their home country. You could actually form several conclusions based on my commentaries, but as far as I understood from members' personal views on how they rolled with Arche/post-Unraveling sessions (Haiiro no Ginka interviews), they certainly had Vulgar/WtD in their mind ("Kaoru-heavy" sessions made their comeback! It's been 10 years!). JUST MY CENTS THOUGH. PS. it's also given these days that their post-MOAB albums are basically nods to their previous, specific efforts in one way or another, e.g. Uroboros being more of Macabre department and so on...

Since Arche's thematically placed in-between Vulgar and WtD, they will most likely play older songs from that era - and nothing much older than that btw :/

Oh lol I see. Random but something funny I thought of: they should play R TO THE CORE and see how fans would react (since that's one of the few songs that newer fanboys/girls rarely recognize and would really dislike 8D)

It doesn't take a genius to realize that talking about "Making music for the US scene" does not compute with k-pop as we see and hear it now. Say, take a few "teen" k-pop acts that are "the big thing" in their home country now and you will notice that they do sport a wide "palette" of heavy EDM/trap influences as well (which happen to be the main (unfortunate but eventually something you'd succumb to) thing in the Western world too). "Trends", you know? I apologize afterwards for derailing but she could try harder if SHE REALLY HAD SUCH INTENTIONS Y'KNOW (since only K-netizens are talking about this garbage of a song, Diplo/Skrillex stans give 0% fucks about her anyway) (sry.)

No one's gonna flame on them for playing Fukai @ Berlin only? (don't) I expected vehement "hurr they favored them over us"-commentary (nostalgic!) but phew, you guys are good

The third choice. There are actually moments where I find myself enjoying certain k-pop acts every now and then, but compared to the past when these *cough* "reliable ones" (minus ex) made me indulge to almost everything that was all the rage in post-2010s k-pawp (BB, SNSD, 2NE1, Suju, Shinee...) - I grew rather critic about anything that comes out of the said scene lately. Frankly speaking I do still have a habit in taking an artist or two from older k-pop heydays (Clazziquai, perhaps a bit of Epik High...if they count as "k-pop", and Humming Urban Stereo) and turn them on when I am about to drive or do something a bit "energetic". Not to mention the nostalgia factor that ender brought up above K-pop recs are still welcome if someone still bothers to bug me with that department but mind you: I am very skeptic/critic PS. if the whole scene's gonna get infected with latest CL x Diplo/Skrillex-isms, then okay - expect me to drop it for good. Such trends are fun to watch but not to the point where you have to experience them on heavy rotation...

I don't want to sound mean but that article felt like any poor journo take on VK I've read back in those Nordic weeaboo/animu mags circa '05-06 a.k.a the first wave of European vk exposure :/ A question though: Whoever is able to read Japanese much better than I do, are there any confirmations on whether there are new, "widely accepted" vk subgenres (as in to the point of Shoxx or Cure using them on a normal basis these days)? The word in 2ch (which I don't really find plausible to begin with) says that "host kei" MIGHT be a "legit thing" now? The absurd thing here is that this "presumed subgenre" doesn't really define any specific musical characteristics, unlike say angura, oshare or even kotekote :/

<3333333333 Idk but I still feel their improvised CoV version a lot more than any other version

^ they had PVs like that ever since early 2010s I think? Speaking of J-pop idiocy: This girl is gonna release a PV DVD consisting of 11 MVs with THE SAME DAMN SONG (check her YT channel out, she has like 12 PVs for that same annoying song - shocker!) ...and this makes me lose an ounce of hope in Nakata day by day (not overdramatizing here), and even new Perfume won't save it

Pfffft I didn't separate them into specific ratings but I am gonna give a try Too much Daoko bias in my case ._.

Sorta relevant http://www.thefader.com/2015/05/22/diplo-cl-riff-raff-og-maco-dr-pepper Out of Satan's fanfictions o_o

Is anyone willing to describe those new songs (3?) in a few words? Since that live snippet sounds like something I hoped they could do just once and forget (read: ENDER ENDER for instance - yeah, I didn't dig that song in Mucc's context...)

Did they just play a snippet of their Akina Nakamori live cover? UUUHNNNGHHHH

I take my words back on Arche being much easier to execute live than DSS Songs like Uroko and other songs that go for the same scale are way too much for Kyo :/

So, we have this "Rate this riff" thread posted by @Zeus like ages ago, but we never had any kind of thread where we could just sit back and think of our personal "top choices" in terms of "j-rock" riffs? I am gonna fix that! So the point is very simple - post max. 5 of your top choices when it comes to your essential/most cherished riffs/riffages in Japanese rock/metal (VK or not, doesn't matter!), and make sure to open up on your choices: what makes it great? What makes it memorable/"essential" in your case? Mind those questions before moving on with MAX. 5 choices, so you guys better refrain from spamming 10 youtube embeds without any further explanations. PS: use spoilers for YT links! My example: 1. X JAPAN - Miscast (intro/main riff) It's not a big surprise that most of my all-time favorite vk riff-rockers (Hyena, Unknown...Despair...a Lost, G.) actually stem from this banging number by X! While the main riff itself is nothing short of similar to something you could hear quite often in 80s glam acts, I still consider it as an important 'mold' for definitive vk influences: groovy, rocking guitars that easily adapt to sinister-sounding verses, yet to poppy hooks and choruses as well! So it's more or less "definitive nostalgia" to me 2. Dir en grey - Ryoujoku no Ame (intro/main riff) I had a bit of hard time in exploring Dir stuff that I liked a lot with PROMINENT RIFFING! Ironically enough this came out at the time when their catchy guitarwork was at its lowest and favored Western-ish drop approach instead, so I still consider this to be a "black sheep" of MOAB singles.In addition, this is one of the few Dir songs where you could just cut a riff or two from any part, and I could name you this exact song as a response. But all that fussy talk aside, fans might disagree with me when it comes to discussing this exact riff (fun fact: Dir songbook(s) even define that verse chugging as part of that "melodic" intro/outro) but I felt that this is where Kaoru and DIe's cooperative guitarwork is done RIGHT and with a good, unique taste - as in not taking a leaf out of Luna Sea's book. Oh, the song itself is a bonanza of melancholic, yet melodic and memorable "Dirriffs" in my case too 3. Radwimps - Oshakashama (intro/main riff) I usually tend to disregard standard J-indie/"emo" tracks due to superior, technical capabilities in any other department than guitarwork (e.g. drumwork in AKFG), but Radwimps proves me wrong: rhythmic, synchronized tap riff (a.k.a main riff) that actually emphasizes the backing instrumentation rather than takes all the attention away from them (you know that moment when guitar riffing literally makes you forget about bass, drums and perhaps even vocals? It's nothing surreal tbh). As a result, we get a grandiose, yet playful entirety of instrumental expertise by each member. Hands down one of the most definitive "J-indie" riffs to me (well I don't know where to lump Radwimps anyway?) . I cannot think of other numbers for now since there are way too many, urgh. So feel free to share and discuss! Ps. timestamping is appreciated! Don't mind me though...

Warsaw setlist (sorry WT!): Intro SE (new) 01. 咀嚼 (Soshaku) 02. Chain Repulsion 03. Sustain the Untruth 04. Un deux 05. 鱗 (Uroko) 06. 濤声 (Tousei) 07. 輪郭 (Rinkaku) 08. 空谷の跫音 (Kuukoku no kyouon) 09. 禍夜想 (Magayasou) 10. Phenomenon 11. Behind a Vacant Image 12. Cause of fickleness 13. The Inferno 14. Revelation of Mankind EN 15. RED SOIL 16. 朔 (Saku) 17. 激しさと… (Hageshisa to…) ...think positively, they didn't play THE FINAL this time! source: Kurumeki @tumblr

Fukai is not "rarely played" for starters (8x times during 2008, 2x during 2010, 6x during 2015 - in overall 95 if we count earlier years)

Hmmm, I do understand your concerns guys but in terms of Minsk I find that encore to be rather okay, as sort of a first-timer experience and whatnot. Once they get to the countries where they have been before like "many times" (Germany, UK...not NL thx Des), they should do this: >rarely played VULGAR songs during the encore (Asunaki, New Age Culture (which is definitely one of the most underrated Dir songs, you read it here first!))

1) Native Finnish, Russian (bilingual, "accentless") and Fluent in English (ofc) 2) Used to be quite good in Swedish (seeing as most (*cough* 90%) of my childhood friends were "Fenno-swedish") until I moved to the capital side and my skills have degraded massively to the point of being "satisfactory" (guess it was the result of culture shock after witnessing the youth negating the said language in here...because of its compulsory status? idk) - I do still understand talks and such to the same extent as I used to back in the day but don't even challenge me to say anything witty in Swedish, pls v_v 3) German could be pretty good-ish if I did a bit of rehearsing as well, and French in my case could be "good" if the former happened... 4) I understand Ukrainian and Polish (since most of my slavic grande familia were born and still living in Poland) to the most...perhaps great-er extent. Blame my relatives who understand my russki talk but refuse to respond in the same language, heh. 5) Currently studying a bit of Korean and trying to get my lazy ass to study Mandarin too...due to certain careerist ambitions 6) I tried a bit of Japanese but then I realized that I'd only decrease my interest in weeaboo culture as a result - I just happen to like things that I understand only a "little bit" (e.g. me understanding German after a few years @ school made me literally stop stanning Rammstein and Oomph, I wonder why )