Nighttime Jae

Perhaps we could move the discussion about ghostwriting to this thread. Recently I've been watching the topic pop up very often, so maybe many of you guys would like to talk about it.
 
Maybe we could start by each one making up a list of the artists or songs or whatever stuff you consider useful to explain to somebody how ghostwritten music looks like and how not-ghostwritten music differentiates from it.
 
In my case, I think I caught a nice example while yesterday looking up for old classic I've never had the chance to try. It was the case for baroque. The contrast between their A-sides before disbanding and after their comeback screams idolization so loud that I couldn't believe my ears.
 
 
 
 
One doesn't need critical music-listening skills to appreciate, in one hand, in the pre-come-back songs, the experimental nature of the trashy and psychedelic arrengments in every song (and what amazes me the most is that these songs, as A-sides, where intended to serve for promotional, commercial, issues!); and in the other hand, the almost complete submission of every musical arrange, and even their looks, to a very well-known, standarized, Johnny'sesque aesthetic, in order to appeal to the recent younger fandom. The differences are so abysmal, and kinda scary, imo... from early century neo-Tokyo punks, to creamy-sweaty-ribbon-shotacon manga characters...
 
Anyway, and don't willing to enter into much musical details, further than what can be clearly seen in the example above, I think an indication of not-ghostwritten could be the lack of imitation of a song style as a whole. Let's say, a not-ghostwritten song would be one that, although you could clearly identify well-known music trends in it (a punk sound, a nu metal sound, etc.), or even previously famous artists signature arrangments (a Sugizoesque kind of solo, etc.), still sounds fresh while displaying said features in a way that you definitely know it wasn't heard/seen before. Inspiration is always there, nobody creates something from nothingness itself, but that doesn't mean you can't make your own version of it and through that create something unique.
 
Here are some songs that I returned to after a long time not listening to them. After being triggered with the whole baroque thing, I started to look up for '01~'05 releases, and hell... say what we know, VK was always about dragging otaku girls into fandom while displaying androgynous looks, so it always had a commercial approach inherent to it, and also bandomen were all chinpira prostitutes who knowed little about playing actual music, blabla... all of that is true to an extent, but those facts shouldn't deny that there actually was people trying to express themselves in their own way, even if the results where amateur and unpolished, and even if they signed a major contract and started to make their sound and appearance more appealing to mainstream...
 
 

I don't even care about Poidol, but the stuff you guys are saying is simply mean. Cheering over bands disbanding really is in poor taste.

visual kei is healing, we are the virus 😍

Maybe I'm just in the first stage of grief but I'm starting to think that this breakup is fake and just a parody of how lots of Visual Kei bands disband quickly or almost at random. I wonder if there will be  a "brand new band" in the next few months with the exact same members and same musical direction as before 
 

This week we have an interview with stylish vkei band nurié.
 
This one had some really interesting answers. They really seem to want to shake things up!
 
➡ https://vk.gy/blog/an-interview-with-nurie/
 
We post exclusive vkei interviews every Tuesday at vkgy, so be sure to check back every week. Previous interviews include La’veil MizeriA, Astaroth, and The Ghost inside of Me. Check vkgy's interview archive for more.

You have to use your brain when dealing with customers but there is nothing intellectual about the host or kyaba industry here tbh. The talking aspect is different to strip etc. In the west but honestly in ways that makes more sense in ways compared to the masochist nature of money spending for a fake relationship with lots of bs talk in between or just wanting to show off. 
 
Clubs here are not really themed but the feel of minami (osaka) compared to kabuki (tokyo) is different and same for countryside too. 

Tell that to Yuu (ex-Zodia and a bunch of other bands) and his master's degree in mechanical engineering. The whole "high school dropouts that live off their mitsus" stereotype is so outdated. Most indies in this day and age have an education and have day jobs to support themselves, otherwise with what they're making they'd be begging on the streets.
 
You guys really can't help yourselves from being judgemental and sassy for no reason huh?
 
Of course everyone is free to do whatever, uploading and downloading definitely won't stop, but I just wanted to reflect on how this affects the scene, especially for the western fanbase.
 
This may be beating a dead horse for your, but I haven't seen a topic for discussing this, so might as well hearing everyone's opinion in just one place.

This week we have an interview with dark, delicate vkei band The Ghost inside of Me.
 
This one’s really long and really interesting. They gave great responses. They’re super nice to overseas fans, so be sure to support them!
 
➡ https://vk.gy/blog/an-interview-with-the-ghost-inside-of-me/
 
We post exclusive vkei interviews every Tuesday at vkgy, so be sure to check back every week. Previous interviews include La’veil MizeriA, Astaroth, and Shuuen no Rasetsu. Check vkgy's interview archive for more.

New CLACK inc. Yuu + Ryo Twitcast schedule:
 
5/4
5/7
5/9
5/12
5/15
 
From ~ 8 PM JST to ~ 9 PM JST

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!

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!

Off the top of my head the one that impressed me the most is L'eveil en Roseraie

Yah Osaka is way stronger for sub culture in everything now. Some great bands have started recently there! 

These are some interesting insights👀
 
It's true, I find it harder to find newer acts that are genuine and do their own music... but there are some out there. Usually, they're the smaller indies ones that get often overlooked :') Reason why I find it hard to get into the next-big-thing bands that everyone seem to be into... they come off as fabricated and uninteresting to me. Even if they start off good, as soon as they get some deal of popularity and a contract I tend to lose interest in them.
 
I'm partial to the current Osaka vk indie scene, there are many smalls band that don't seem to fall into that category, but of course you can't know for sure. But I think that if you follow a band enough, you can tell when they're behind it 100%, as opposed to those who are labels' puppets.

Even if you read the credits it would be falsely under a band members name. I will not name any active bands online but bands like Vivid used a ghostwriter and that guy is still making stuff for other artist. A good sign of fakeness is a band has no demo releases, no past history of members in bands with similar music, but suddenly these young dudes come out with a fully produced release from the start. I understand from the record label's point of view of making money and such but F%CK that.
I work making designs for host clubs, kyabakura, and also do music composition jobs sometimes for idol, jpop, and once even the toyko government.
 
oh if you ever come to Tokyo DM me. Yah the newer culture is fake, the women do not get really robbed, just mitsu culture. Getting money for going on dates or for even doing nothing or to the extreme of going to love hotel etc. the only thing i have heard close to robbing is "i want to borrow money." but they never pay it back. I hang out with the older generation mostly though like late 80's to early 00's guys. Their generation had mitsu and such, even hide mentioned it on his radio show, ghostwriters were prevalent in the past too but not anywhere near the level of the current scene. the older generation were more interested in the music compared to now where it seems most people I meet are more interested in getting attention.
 
speaking of the main topic the ex.singer of NvM is like one of the wooorst guys I ever met here. if you read his Tanuki it is 100% true. haha.
 

Sadly lots of the real a$$holes are guys who are in bands that do not even write their own music. ex.Vexent guitarist and I work at the same place and he showed me some of his ghostwriter friend's work in the scene and I was surprised by some of the acts, others not so much. Sadly VK has become like idol groups with guitars. that coworker is a douche too tbh, did not care about VK history, just wanted to be like some kind of idol when he was in that band.

I've also heard Kaya is very kind. He's got a good reputation here.
 
Not sure if he still goes to LA but he used to come out to Cali. He carries himself really well.

Whoa that was...educational!
 
I'm sure there's a good percentage of bandsmen that are utter douchebags, but. They're onstage creating art...if you can't stomach it, don't pay to get in lol. I suppose I'd be more apt to defend them. They don't deserve to have people attack online and all that jazz, just because followers are catty etc. Gotta respect the business.
 
I find most of the bangya pretty entertaining, but maybe I'm just a rare breed. 
 
What is this thing about Jojo? I'm booked for the Gallo but honestly he freaks me out (I think thats part of the appeal...) He isn't like dangerous, is he? 🍴🍴🍴🍴

That's too bad. The singer has a really cute voice, and I liked REBELLION and SEVENTH a lot, so I was hoping they'd eventually start building some momentum.
Well, three years is a decent run for a  VK band these days, I guess.

they didn't gave any reason....
so maybe it's due the COVID-19...
no gigs, no money. 

I've never cared for Mejibray and a huge chunk of the "big" bands within the scene, with a few exceptions of course. I'm not trying to be hipsterish at all costs, it's just that I have a hard time getting into anything that I find overexposed. If I like something, I'll like it regardless of the popularity (or lack of thereof) of the band, it's just that it happens rarely with well-known bands.
 
(basically, I enjoy screaming in the void about bands no1curr about)
 

Well at least they also announced (which felt very strange) one day prior to their disbandment announcement a 3 month concept release campaign.
 
1st single: THEATER > release: 19.05.2020
2nd single: EGOIST > release: 04.06.2020
3rd single: "???" (sorry can't copy/paste...) > release: 07.07.2020
 
 

LUCIFER will disband at 2020/9/17.
 

I think Kaya is a very good people... he are so respetcful to his fans, love travel and meet his fans outside Japan, he smile and laugh all the time, is a very genuine people.

It was only two albums wdym 🙃
 
Jokes aside, not saying he was 100% in the dark about it, but on those two albums Asaki was the main "composer" 
There are no plagiarism issues in any of the previous albums (Jake was the composer then) nor in any the 4+ bands Full was in after Guniw (where he is the main composer)
 
Also there's a 10 pages long thread about plagiarized songs in here leave this man alone!!!