monkeybanana4

Apparently in 1999 there was a sports game for Playstation released in Japan titled R [アール], also known as Rock'n Riders. It featured characters named and modeled after actual J-rock/VK musicians! According to the game's story in the "distant future of 20XX" a Japanese rock band called R go to Los Angeles for a gig, but for some reason rock music is outlawed so the authorities chase them through the US while the characters race each other on...snowboards?? Yeah.
 
The members of the band:
- vocals: Ellemo
- guitar: Kyoji Yamamoto (BOWWOW)
- guitar: Kiyoshi (media youth, hide with Spread Beaver, Lucy, machine)
- guitar: Chisato (PENICILLIN)
- bass: YASUMICHA'N (Sleep My Dear)
- drums: O-JIRO (PENICILLIN)
 
It also looks like these guys actually went ahead and recorded an album under this band name.  Anyway, various tracks composed by the members also appear as background music in the game itself (here's a YT link to the full soundtrack). The 2CD limited version of the game also had a photo gallery of the real-life musicians dressed as their game characters it seems.
 
A bunch of in-game footage can be found in this YT playlist.
An assortment of screenshots and other info here.
 
By the way a totally random tweet sparked this post, bless the abyss of the internet!
 
 

The MV for "5th", CLACK inc.'s newest digital single, has been released. You can find the song available on every streaming service.
 
The MV was filmed and edited by CLACK inc.'s ex-member Baku (guitar, ex-Zerogumi) on the same day and stage of their previous livestream concert.
 
 
The current line-up is:
 
Takeru (ex-EVE), vocals
 
Ryo (ex-EVE), guitar R
 
+Yuu (Ultimate Sonic, ex- Marvelous Maiden, Zodia, Affective Synergy), guitar L
 
Avel (ex-Veinrot), bass
 
Kenbo (ex-Art Elicia), drums

Can confirm. They're one of the best live bands I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. RIcko is always on key, they have such good chemistry with each other and their energy is always on point.

Damn, they sound incredible live 😮

After all this time that i've got into this fandom, still can't get enough of this beautiful song ❤️

I covered this pretty much in the bad bandmen topic as someone who is actually in the scene here but: 
 
Ghostwriting has been going on in vk since the 90s but is now much much more prevalent. 
 
A good sign that a band is using a ghostwriter is that they do not gradually grow in production and songwriting but suddenly have fully produced looks and releases under a label. 
 
The music industry is a cut throat business, even more so in this age, so one can understand why the labels choose a mechanism that produces money(making bands pay for ghostwriter and costumes from the start means even if they do not sell you get the money plus rights. ) 
 
In the past you could have the pop music support risks in underground music, watusi from coldfeet taught me that was the normal in Japan. Big labels would basically say "do whatever you want, we have a budget from the pop sales" but now that is non existent. 
 
It is a case of do not hate the player but hate the game. While I hate fake produced crap I understand it helps prop the scene up until hopefully there is a mass revival amongst all the plastic stuff. 
 
If you enjoy a band, even if they use a ghostwriter that is not bad, life is too short, get any enjoyment you can. 
But make sure to support the real underground stuff, even if foreign fan support is 1% of what a band gets. 
 
You would honestly be surprised by some of the bands using ghostwriters, I am here and have been shocked honestly. But I love VK so much to have dedicated my life to it, even if some elitist views are uncomfortable to you f@ck it, just listen to what you want to, but realize the scene is full of lots of bands not making their own stuff. 

CLACK inc. will have a concert stream on Twitcast on May 17th. Completely free.
 
Here's the schedule:
 
Part one - Talk session (6.30 PM to 7.30 PM JST)
Part two - Live (8 PM to 9 PM JST)

1) What are the indicators that make a song "ghostwritten" for you? And that it is not?
I don't think there's any obvious smoking gun that screams "ghostwritten songs!", but there are some bands, like others have already mentioned, that definitely feel like they've had their material 'ghostwritten'. One big factor would be the continuous output of releases in a relatively short amount of time.
 
2) What are the indicators that make a band "idol kei"? And that it is not?
I guess it depends on how you define the term, idol. But, I would say, more or less, the scene has pretty much been inundated with 'idolness' for quite sometime. When you look at the way things are sold (i.e. receiving trading cards or photosets of certain members with CD purchases, buying chekis of a particular member, etc.), it pretty much screams the 'idol' factor. Although, there are certain bands, though, that tend to focus more on selling live goods, chekis, and even food products. VK has been known for providing weirdly, awesome, even grotesque goodies, but I see some bands who lean more on the side of 'goods/products' rather than 'CDs/music'. (Also, I know CDs are considered goods/products. However, in this case, I'm defining goods/products like chekis, photosets, photocards, towels, shirts, etc.)
 
3) Where would you put its birth date?
I'm not sure of an exact date, but as @Komorebi already answered, I think it began when these instore or personal meet-and-greet events launched off. When you go to those events, it mirrors exactly what Japanese idol pop groups do (minus the rock music). You can "meet" your favorite artist and chat with them in exchange for buying their stuff. It's what Japanese idols outside of VK have been doing for much longer.
 
4) Do they qualify as "good music" or not? Do you enjoy them? Do not? 
Music, like any other art, is subjective, so I suppose it depends on what the listener enjoys and defines as "good music". Even though I may not listen to certain bands, there is definitely a crowd out there who will continue to support their favorite artists.
 
5) Does it seem to you that this certain music goes "against" (to put it somehow) of certain "well-being" of the scene, or of the music itself?
I think @Komorebi provided a great answer for this question. For fans like most of us on MH, whose butts are firmly parked outside of Japan, we can only listen and focus on the music. It's not a bad thing, and I think music should be examined for the sake of music to expand one's knowledge/tastes/etc. However, when you live in Japan, being in the VK scene is a completely different ballgame. There is an entire social scene that is built into the VK scene. I guess because the scene is 'small' that there are many who become friends since they recognize each other from attending the same lives, instore events, etc. for the same band(s), and it's a way for these dedicated group of friends to spend time together. Also, as mentioned already by @Komorebi, there is also a whole fashion scene related to VK. Even though it's shrunk with many brands shutting down, there are still stores like Sex Pot Revenge that market to people who admire and dress up in the VK fashion style, possibly even wanting to emulate or cosplay as their favorite artist/band member. There are also many girls who dress up in Lolita clothes and really go all out to look nice for lives. In a way, I guess VK, to some, is not so much a music genre, but rather a subculture. So, I think as long as there's androgynous musicians willing to play music and cater to the fanbase, then the VK scene will survive.
 
6) Why are you still listening to VK in the 2010s? Are your reasons the same as before? What does it give you that other music does not give you?
Like @yomii I stopped listening to VK for a few years, but I've recently gotten back into it, and I still thoroughly enjoy it even with all its warts and splotches. I think it's because VK has helped me shape a part of who I am, including my passions (i.e. collecting CDs from mediocre-sounding artists, studying about culture, people, history, and meeting/chatting with people who share the same interests). I also enjoy the fashion of VK and its close ties to it because, in a way, I feel like it's not only the music, but it's also the clothes and makeup that help make the whole scene artistic. So, I find there's plenty to enjoy with both new bands to listen to and older/disbanded bands to still discover.     (Wow, I wrote way too much... ^^;) 

I know that this sounds whiny to some, but life sometimes terrifies me. The thought of growing old and slowly decaying, and there's nothing that can really be done about it. The thought of being nearly immobile in old age, due to the natural atrophy that occurs as one grows older and loses more and more of their muscle tone. The thought of experience cognitive decline, vision loss, hearing loss, and other forms of degenerative impaired function which occurs naturally as one grows older. It appears in order to cope with this insidious bodily decline, people are tasked to find life fulfillment, eudaimonia, self actualization etc. Many find this fulfillment by raising children and establishing families, which isn't easy for everyone. 
 
Aging sucks. I first joined this forum in 2011 during the tail-end of TW, you can guess that I'm now reaching my late 20s. I feel the same way I did 10 years ago. The only thing that's changed is I've become slightly more well rounded in general knowledge. All of my friends from a decade ago whom I've kept contact with haven't changed either, it would appear people's personalities typically cultivate around their mid teens and from there on it's only a matter of learning and experiencing. My point here is that aging sucks and there's little good about it unless you're capable of constantly improving yourself, but that's difficult when you struggle with motivation.
 
I know that we are all capable of overcoming all of these hurdles  if we stop making excuses and allow ourselves to. We limit our potential because we limit ourselves.
 

Nice, congrats on completing it! Man, you're going through a lot of good PS1 classics 👏
 
I nabbed some screenshots. Check em out!:

To stay on topic, finally got myself a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Never played a AC game before but I'm finding myself having a ton of fun with everything.

Hi Monochromians~
 
I’ll be parting with quite a few items that need a new home asap
 
Distray - Fare Well: $5
Holyclock - Shinshokusareru tsuki kuro ni nijimu 218byoukan $7
Holyclock - Kuuhaku no Zankyou, 210-byoukan ga Tsumugu Kyogi no Hikari $5
Holyclock - Shinshou AQUARIUM-Shuuen no Wa ni Zanryuusuru Sunadokei- $12
Holyclock - Doukei to Renbin no Ryuuseigun $7

Kagrra, - Rin $10
Kagrra, - Omou $10
Kagrra, - Tsuki ni murakumo B $10
Kagrra, - Utakata A $12
Kagrra, - Utakata B $12
Shiki project album type B $40
 
SAVAGE - Kaibou FilmMini-album $15
SAVAGE - Mosaic $8
SAVAGE - Reiketsu na Komoriuta - Batsuban $10
SAVAGE - Reiketsu na Komoriuta - Tsumiban $10
SAVAGE - Watashi wa Kowareta Hi A $10
SAVAGE - Watashi wa Kowareta Hi B $10
SAVAGE - Tokumei san no Kubiwa $12
SAVAGE - Morphine $20
 
Do As Infinity - Do The Live CD: $12
Do As Infinity - Final live CD: $12 (the case is in bad condition but the 3 CDs are impeccable)
Do As Infinity - Need Your Love (w/DVD) $20
Do As Infinity - Eternal Flame (w/DVD) $20
Do As Infinity - Eight (w/DVD) $20
Do As Infinity - Do the A Side (w/DVD) $25
Do As Infinity - Infinity 1 $5
Do as Infinity - Alive/Iron Hornet $5
Do As Infinity - Dive At It 2014 DVD + bluray + live CD $30
 
JILUKA - Metamorphose type B $20
JILUKA - Brave Antagonistic Letters Under Segregation $18
JILULA - Xtopia B $27
 
MORRIGAN - Necro $18
MORRIGAN - Moshimo Kuroi Tsubasa ga Hanaetara A $8
MORRIGAN - Pandora $30
MORRIGAN - Corpse Reviver $25
MORRIGAN - Black Russian $20
MORRIGAN - The Dawn Deep Dope $40
MORRIGAN - XISS $35
 
D - New Blood ~second impact~ $15
D - Huang Di ~yami ni umareta mukui~ B $15
D - Vampire Chronicle A $25
D - Mayutsuki no Hitsugi A $12
D - Mayutsuki no Hitsugi B $12
D - Mayutsuki no Hitsugi C $12
D - Yume Narishi Kuchu Teien $12
D - Mahiru no Koe ~synchronicity~ A $12
D - Mahiru no Koe ~synchronicity~ B $10
D - Shiroi Yoru $15
D - Yami yori kurai dokoku no acapella to bara yori akai jounetsu no aria A $12
D - Taiyou no Okuru Hi A $12
D - Ultimate Lovers  first press $12
D - Dearest You A $12
D - Dearest You B $8
D - Ouka Saki Some ni Keri A $12
D - Ouka Saki Some ni Keri B $8
D - Schwarszchild A $12
D - Schwarszchild B $8
D - Birth B $7
D - Birth C $7
D - Yami no Kuni no Alice C $8
D - Tightrope A $12
D - Tightrope C $7
D - Day by Day A $12
D - Day by Day C $7
D - Akaki Hitsuji ni Yoru Bansankai A $12
D - Akaki Hitsuji ni Yoru Bansankai B $12
D - Akaki Hitsuji ni Yoru Bansankai C $7
D - In the name of Justice B $12
D - In the name of Justice C $7
D - Dying Message A $12
D - Dying Message B $12 
D - Dying Message C $7
D - Danzai no Gunner A $12
D - Danzai no Gunner C $7
D - Bon Voyage! $15
D - Rosenstrauss A $12
D - Rosenstrauss B $10
D - Dark Wings A $12
D - Dark Wings C $8
D - Dark Wings D $5
D - Tsuki no Sakazuki A $12
D - Tsuki no Sakazuki B $10
D - Tsuki no Sakazuki C $7
D - Tsuki no Sakazuki D $5
D - Happy Unbirthday C $7
D - Happy Unbirthday D $5
D - Dark Fairy Tale C $7
D - Dark Fairy Tale D $5
 
Ruiza - Amenity Gain $12
Ruiza - Abyss $12
Ruiza - One A $15
Ruiza - One B $12
Asagi - Seventh Sense A $12
Asagi - Seventh Sense D $8
Asagi - Live DVD $35
Dying Message Oddisey $20
Rosenstrauss Documentary $20
 
I also have a bunch of cheki for sale (D, JILUKA and MORRIGAN, mainly), I can send photos if anyone is interested.
I have several D photosets (very old ones) and merch like tote bags and accessories.

It is always a question of how far I can go without pissing some key figures off. Recently I tweeted in Japanese about these feelings towards the current seen and got around 600 likes, had lots of people DMing me saying they feel the same, but one person who does ghostwriter work got angry, can understand, we all gotta make a living. 

Princess Mononoke is up on Amazon JP. You can nab these at like $5-6 cheaper than most other US distros. First time I felt compelled to grab the symphonic suite in addition to the OST. Came out to roughly $55 shipped for the OST and $45 shipped for the SS. 
 

Original Soundtrack 
(¥4,926 + ¥1,495 shipping)
 

Symphonic Suite
(¥3,821 + ¥1,347)
 

Image Album
(¥3,821 + ¥1,347 shipping)

Off the top of my head: Clack inc., Doku, Clack inc., Lamiya, Clack inc., Micbam, Clack inc., Eluna, Clack inc., JE:NOVA, Clack inc., Ultimate Sonic, Clack inc., Visual Laboratory, Clack inc., Hueye, Clack inc., Astaroth, and last but not least... Clack inc. 😜
 
Oh, almost forgot, Clack inc. Marvelous Cruelty are from Osaka too!

Great song! Reminds me of this nice song from Wolf’s Rain called Gravity (also composed by Yoko Kanno, sung by Maaya Sakamoto)
 
 

Great song! Reminds me of this nice song from Wolf’s Rain called Gravity (also composed by Yoko Kanno, sung by Maaya Sakamoto)
 
 

Yoko Kanno always brought the best out of Maaya Sakamoto #weeblife
 
 

Finally ordered Persona 5 Royal. Haven't played the original version, so this is an all-new experience for me.

It looks like I've had this account for nearly 10 years and have never said a word. Somewhat impressive, if you ask me. One could also assume that I'm probably old as hell.

Anyhow, I'm from Finland and my musical taste is quite vast. According to my last.fm (my username being ksms) I've listened to nearly 13,000 artists, so that in itself says something. One of my absolute favourite bands is COALTAR OF THE DEEPERS, who can hop from one genre to the next within the confines of a single song, sometimes several times. I appreciate electronic bleep bloops, massive walls of sound, ethereal reverbs, minimalism, cute things, brutal things, video games, movies and so forth. Anyway, good to meet you all.