TheBistroButcher666

In my opinion its a mix of the three, since its kind of related, the staff who has the least online hours are also the ones who (in the public eye) has contributed the least to the forum, of course, even if one of them had had 100+ days of online time it still wouldn't count for anything if they weren't actually doing something.

Kai and Champs do a lot of backend under the hood stuff a lot of us don't see. Champ also hosts a lot of Turntable shindigs which wouldn't count towards activity.

Basically I don't think looking at their total hours of activity could properly Guage how active a mod is.

I'm referring to the circlejerk over Piyo's death. The people that didn't know who he was and suddenly have to be the biggest drama queens over it. Similar to the Hide fans that make a big deal about him every Hide birthday anniversary when they've only been a fan of VK for less than a year.

Inspired from a similar thread on another board and when I say inspire I really mean just copying their idea.

 

The idea of the thread is to encourage sharing music and just sharing your enthusiasm for a certain artist you are really into. Try to avoid just spamming YouTube links with shitty little one liners about the VK boys being kawaii or dis song is so bruutal. This topic should not be like in this thread and should promote discussion. It doesn't have to be VK/Japanese either since I know a lot of us listen to tunes outside of Japan.

Band Name:

You must write a description of the band and what you find enjoyable/interesting/terrible/whatever about them. Try to really show what they’re about, what their sound is like, what artists they are influenced by/have influenced or some other means of describing their music.

ARITHMETICA FOR MOD!

 

As my first act as moderator I will ban all IPs associated with blogs such as Visual Scandal and somethingsomething I'd have to get Kai to do it :C

 

Anyway, I digress. 

 

It is noticeable when topics get posted in the wrong section and sit there for several days before being moved or never moved at all like this one. I think what could help is consolidating the forum some more. I know there was some recent consolidation but honeslty, I'm mostly just talking about merging the Artist sub forum with the Japanese General Topic sub forum. The artist sub forum is mostly inactive anyway and it would help those topics get noticed more by people if all together in just one general section for Japanese music.

 

I am not the most active member myself but I know that in the past there had been projects like creating an English language wiki/archive that would put JAME to shame. Unfortunate that never came to be because honestly, if MH wants to be something more. MH will need to offer more than just download links. Big words, not a lot I can do to help except give Kai monies.

 

Also fix the mobile site so I can actually see replies to status update posts :C I'm mostly posting from my phone and I can't ever see dat shit. I FEEL SO LEFT OUT D:<

I definitely associate music with illustrations and other projects I've worked on. I'll look back at something and be like, shit son I listened to so much Eins:Vier when I drew that thing.

 

It's hard to come up with specific memories, I'd have to go through all my music and just listen to it and see if something comes back. However one thing I can remember off the top of my head. Couple years ago drove across several states with my Mom because she has a fear of flying (fear as in she doesn't want to take her weed on the plane). I remember looking out at the endless farmland and listening to the shit out of some La Feerie. Whenever 目覚メノトキ　〜覚醒サレタモウ一人ノXx〜 comes on I can picture the endless fields of rural Idaho perfectly.

Oh oh oh I have one!

 

Most Western GAKKIDO fans didn't give two shits about that band until the vocalist died. Then suddenly everyone was like OH MY FUCKING GOD! And had to jump on the tragedy bandwagon. I remember a lot of the VK groups I lurked on Livejournal never had any topics about that band but when they had that accident, suddenly requests for music, scans, blog translations. Now I'm not saying they didn't have any western fans but it was considerably noticeable how their fanbase on the internet ballooned after the news of the car accident.

 

RIP whatever his name was but the internet scramble to be the biggest GAKKIDO stan was gross.

Oh jeez, that article? Really?? Hahaha I forgot all about that. I didn't know it was Kiwamu rumored to be the one that was interviewed but it wouldn't surprise me if it was him.

Wait how could he be an executive in the 90s when back in the 90s was he even in a band or even taking part in the VK scene? Or was he in just a bunch of shitty sinking ship indie bands like Blue Berry before forming the clusterfuck that was BLOOD? Wait the fuck I don't even care...

@Umi_Niwa

Anyway, it's just pretty poor discussion to post a vague one liner with no backing to explain your reason and then the only defense is a link to an old and debunked article.

I tried looking up Of Mice and Men and all I got was results to some dumb book!!

 

But seriously dude, it's better to just post two or three artists and talk about the artist and what they do. Try not to overwhelm people with a whole lotta stuff and dumb lists all at once because no one ain't got time for that.

Maybe he was blackmailing BB so that he would stay in the band harharharhar :U

 

ONCE A MEMBER! A MEMBER FOR LYFE! Anyone who tries to leaves ends up like the original PIASS line up!

The gritty effects in the PV are cheap and stupid looking.

 

The album artwork looks like someone just learned how to import brushes into photoshop and downloaded a pack from DeviantArt full of all the film grain and blood splatter they could find.

I'm sorry but besides BatAAr a lot of the EU bands that are noticed in the J-rock fandom are Imo just terrible. They bring nothing new or exciting to the scene and this is no better. I'm convinced that they're just popular because they remind a lot of the fan girls and boys of their fav J-rockers. Just stop.

I think that's a problem with all Western VK but that's a whole different discussion outside this thread.

Oh, damn! I wonder why. Was that song released under a different label?

Ohhhh! I think Au Revoir was under Columbia right? Whatever their major label was?

I bet Kami Uta is a really fun live song but agree that it's just so repetitive and boring. I would like to think perhaps Material Pain as THE SONG that put Phantasmagoria on the map but I don't even know mang.

 

As for D, I don't agree with Ouka being their trade mark song. Their Japanese themed songs seem to be one off things here and there, I can count Ouka, the one where they're like Triads or something and another one that's kinda boring and I forgot what it's called. Most of their stuff is all super fantasy driven and so I just don't think Ouka as THE SONG that defines D. When I think D, I definitely think it would have be either Sleeper or Yami Yori followed by perhaps Mayutsuki no Hitsugi, Nightship D, Vampire Missa and maybe Eden? I dunno man, I think D's success was just strong release after strong release and an accumulation of good songs that just put them on the map. 

 

Raphael I'm thinking Hana Saku Inochi Aru Kagiri is THE SONG that made them followed by all the other amazing stuff Kazuki did.

 

http://youtu.be/de25Zzeygvk

 

It's also seems like a good trasitional song from Yuki having stupid giant hair to not so stupid looking hair. But also I think this was their first major release? Did they ever go major? 

Oh I'm not saying he was better when trying to be HIZAKI, it just wasn't as painful to watch.

Didn't Hideki start a new band recently, whatever happened to that?

Anyway, I'm excited!

Is K leaving GRIM or did GRIM unofficially fall apart because I haven't heard much from them since that last release of their's (which was good!) back in 2011.

Yohio was fine when he was trying to be HIZAKI but when he started doing every stupid VK stereotype it all went down hill from there.

Anyway, this song is better than the shit Seremdy produced but it's not great either. I'm not really into this style of heavy emo core but I can see them gaining possible momentum among the type of folks that like Black Veil Brides and Blood on the Dance Floor. I definitely get that vibe from this than the gross VK stereotypes in Seremdy that made me cringe.

I think VK outside Japan can't truly work for a very simple reason- because of how this industry is run in Japan.

That doesn't really explain anything.

I like the trolling but come on, let's not pretend that making this GRAWRWRRGRR bloopcore music IS going to save VK lmao

I know right.

Didn't they always play soft pop rock anyway.

Look at how legit we are now playing poppy poopcore!

Oh nice, it doesn't mention the difference between each type? I'm assuming one comes with a DVD the other doesn't.

Also, does anyone know if he released a PV DVD for his last three singles? The song preview's on YouTube appear to have video shot for them. Is it a super duper live only privilege or something?

Anyway looking forward to more cheesy campy gothic music.

I think the biggest reason is definitely issue number 2.

 

Besides you're only cool when you post rarez owld skewl stuff like Kilah, Zodiack and Asylum harharhar!!

Instrumental members of Versailles is better off without KAMIJO, and KAMIJO is better off in a solo project = WIN/WIN situation. 

 

I know right!? This album would have been a huge let down with Kamijo as the vocalist. He does so much better in music that fits his singing style and voice, he just isn't a metal vocalist.

 

Yeah, this is not another "Versailles"-album, this is brand new and fresh! They did this good.

Exactly!

 

If you came expecting frilly vampire themed music then you're going to be disappointed. They're definitely not Versailles anymore and if you liked that part about Versailles more than the metal, then that's why we have Kamijo's solo project. 

I think really the problem with singing in Japanese is you're stigmatizing and stereotyping your band. If you're going to form a VK band what kind of audience are you trying to appeal to anyway?

 

Western VK fans are probably going to hate you, Japanese fans aren't going to care unless you can actually get to Japan but good luck immigrating as a musician and so that leaves you with your local audience. Singing in Japanese will most likely alienate any potential listeners but that's if you're music is either worth listening to in the first place. Sing in your native language and if you have a rich daddy like Yohio that can get you signed to Universal Japan then sing in Japanese because you'll be singing to an audience that is relevant. I admit, when I saw the name Pinku Jiatsu I immediately thought it was going to be shit because they were dumb enough to name themselves that.

 

It's fine if you like singing in Japanese but leave that for karaoke. 

 

I agree that there's some bias hate towards these bands though, no denying that. If they were Japanese people would love them, stuff like Pinku Jiatsu could have been a DEViL KiTTY song and Romantica seems like something the Kote KKK would circlejerk all over. I don't think Sada's solo stuff is terrible at all and more Kote KKK circlejerk material, Jet Set Gypsies are really good except for the awkward silly Japanese verses and chin vaginas and I liked Abaddon and wished they had more music. 

 

I love Visual Moon, at least what's been on the internet so far.

Mongolian is not just a beautiful language, I think their culture is very interesting and I'd love to travel there someday.

Maybe the band should put more traditional stuff into their songs and MVs...

Well don't listen to manufactured garbage like Visual Moon. There's probably loads of Mongolian folk influenced music but if you only just look at the over produced pop music you're going to have a bad time.

Hi guys,

I've been listening to Visual Kei for years now but I still have absolutely no idea how to 'genre-ify' (is there a word for this?! Categorise I guess?) 99% of it. I'm totally cool with categorising Oshare Kei and Nagoya Kei because they're the only types I really feel comfortable labelling. With stuff like Crossfaith, I just bung it into a 'J-Metal' folder so as to distinguish it from Western stuff.

However, I have a ton of bands who I don't know how to categorise. As a result I simply put them under Visual Kei, which according to this site is highly incorrect! Some guidance on the following bands would be really appreciated!

-Bands like Kagrra

-Bands like Kra

-Bands like Alice Nine

-Bands like Versailles

-00's bands which had a lot of shouty stuff (early NoGoD, Ayabie, Lolita23q etc)

-Bands like Alsdead/Deluhi/old Lycaon/Heartless etc

-Bands like new Lycaon

-Bands like D'espairsray

-Bands like The GazettE, who I guess sorta links to Girugamesh now?

-DIR EN GREY!!! (I guess they are in a genre of their own? People say their older albums are similar to old VK but I just don't see it. Were many bands doing songs like Myaku?!)

-Older bands like Luna Sea, Glay etc

-Copycat bands like Grieva (would they be the same as above?)

-Miyavi...?

-Punk bands like The Piass

-Rentrer en Soi? What would they be...?

Sorry, this is pretty messy but any help would be great! It would be cool to put a genre on shuffle and not come across songs that have nothing in common.

It's cool they put stuff from webshops up on their site now but omg, the prices are just exorbitantly expensive!  It's convenient, that's for sure but it's so god damn expensive.

 

So in other words, never used it ever :C

MIRAGE for sure. Loved Akira! Dat dark and dreary voice oomph oomph! But Tomo also has a soft spot in my heart. Also the change between Tomo and Akira wasn't nearly as drastic as say Tatsuya and Asagi. I like Syndrome as well but preferred Tatsuya era over Asagi. I don't think they really composed any songs that really utilized Asagi's strong voice except for maybe Arubino.

 

Phantasmagoria I feel put KISAKI on the map though, at least with foreign fans. If it wasn't for Phantasmagoria I think KISAKI wouldn't be as well known as those other minor indie label owners like Tomozo or something. He'd just be known as that guy that was in that old Deg band. Again strictly from a western perspective. Where's Inartistic at when you need em?? I remember he summed up Phantasmagoria quite well but tl'dr: You shouldn't underestimate the impact Phantasmagoria had on the indie circuit, sure their later new material revival release circlejerk was pretty lack luster and looking back at their music, it wasn't THAT amazing but it sure got people pumped the fuck up. Basically Phantas showed up in 2004 and was all like FUCK YALL DIS IS HOW YOU DO VISUAL KEI!!

 

SO BASICALLY PHANTAS AS MY SECOND THIRD FAVOURITE