CAT5

I have some thoughts regarding elitism that I thought might be relevant here. From my perspective, I've come across what I'd personally categorize as two different kinds of elitists. The main thing separating these two would be their motivations. The first type of elitist I like to call the "psuedo-elitist". For me, this is the most common type. This type of elitist is driven by insecurity. They feel the need to bash and criticize any and everything they don't like in an effort to validate their own tastes. Some of them also make it their mission to learn as much about music as possible and to listen to all of the "objective" music classics - which is nice, but they don't do it for the sake of the knowledge alone - they do it so they can feel like they have a leg up on others. Some of this type are actually really knowledgeable, but unfortunately, they wield that knowledge from an unbalanced place and use it to boost their egos instead of shedding light in a healthy fashion. More often than not, they also lack individuality because they're constantly looking outside of themselves for validation instead allowing themselves to trust and appreciate their own, unique music taste. Most of this kind aren't even aware of themselves, so they end up coming off as assholes - or just looking like clowns to those who can see through them. They're usually troublesome to talk music with because they're too wrapped up in their own egos to properly perform the dance that is conversation. The second type of elitist probably doesn't even personally identify with the term "elitist" and you'd probably never catch these guys referring to themselves as such. They have discerning tastes and they may be super knowledgeable about music, but they are self-validated and don't look outwards to "objective" standards - they define their own taste, they come up with their own ideas about music, and they completely OWN however they feel about music, regardless of anyone else's opinion. These people understand subjectivity and that their perspective is really not "elite" at all. They're able to seamlessly interface with music fans of all kinds. They're pleasant to talk to because they're more interested in exchanging perspectives, as opposed to trying to force their own opinion on others or prove that their opinion is somehow "right". Thankfully, the first type can become the second type later on if they wish. I definitely went through a "pseudo-elitist" phase when I was younger, which I'm glad I grew out of.

LOOOOOOOOOOL. Looks like I'm a cross between otaku and hoarder, ahaha. Well, I used to be in any case.

Welcome to the forum! If you have any questions/concerns about anything, feel free to let anyone with a red, blue or green name know! Enjoy!

Brilliant news!!!

Welcome to the forum! Enjoy!

I put the manga on hold, so I'm not up to date with what's going on. However, I've been watching the series back with @beni and we've made it up to just before the Whitebeard war (where they're updating us on the crew's whereabouts). Rewatching the summit-war arc has been amazing - everything from the end of thriller bark up until where we are now has no doubt been one of the highest points in the anime. The animation is great, the music direction is on point, and most importantly, the pacing is fantastic. It really makes me wonder how they dropped the ball with the post-time skip episodes. It really seems like they broke something that needed no fixing.

I know everyone has seen the new trailer by now, but it's difficult not to be excited for the new season!

Same! I Know she did some work in Japan or at least released stuff through a Japanese label, but I would not have thought her to be connected with someone like UA. I enjoy her work, so I'm excited to see how this album pans out.

This is why everyone should just come over to my side of J-rock - all of the cool indie and underground stuff that gets overshadowed by visual kei and mainstream J-rock. I just turned 29 and I'm actually among the youngest most of the people I know who are into this kind of stuff. There are no snivelling, snot-nosed brats or dramatic, temperamental fanpeople over here! but... the only problem is... this fandom barely exists for overseas fans.... ...and it's lonely

Tracklist: 01. 東京、熱帯夜につき 02. 夜想GALAXXXY 03. サクラユメ 04. 甘美な嘘と退屈な薄紅 05. Relic Snow 06. 神様がもしいるなら 8/10 | DIV's unique blend of EDM and rock proves to be a winner! Never a band to sit idle, young visual rockers DIV have continued their steady stream of releases and christened 2016 with their second and latest EP EDR TOKYO. The 'EDR' in the title stands for 'Electronic Dance Rock', and while electronics have always been present in DIV's music, they've mostly --with the exception of a few b-sides like "milky latte" and "東京ネクロポリス博物館 (Tokyo Necropolis Hakubutsukan)"-- operated on the peripheries: relegated to mood-setting intros, punchy breakdowns, and background frill. EDR TOKYO asserts itself as a more overt electronic endeavor, however. Their last single, the awesome, EDM-fueled "イケナイKISS (ikenai kiss)" gave us a good taste of what DIV's 'EDR' could sound like, and it's certainly served as precursor to the material on this EP. The blithesome opener "東京、熱帯夜につ (tokyo nettaiya ni tsuki)" borrows some of the EDM elements of that song, but takes them a bit further, as guitars take a backseat to bright, layered synths and atmospheric bleep bloops. The song openly embraces electronics and effectively sets the precedent for the rest of the EP; each song is inundated with lively synth-work and programming that's both varied and meticulously applied. There may even be moments where you'll question if you're still listening to DIV or not; the main synth in "神様がもしいるなら (kamisama ga moshi iru nara)" sounds like something you'd hear in a , and the heavy, electro-blended guitars in "甘美な嘘と退屈な薄紅 (kanbi na uso to taikutsu na usubeni)" would equally at home in a track by the GazettE, yet they implement all of this without really straying from who they are. This EP proves that DIV have thoroughly invested themselves in 'EDR' and the electronics here neither sound like a gimmick nor are they arbitrary sonic decorations. Every synth sounds like it has purpose and is an inherent part of the song. Some may worry that the heavy-focus on electronic music may have come at a price, but rest assured, that is not the case. DIV have not neglected 'R' in 'EDR'! Tracks like "夜想GALAXXXY (yasou GALAXXXY)" and "サクラユメ (sakurayume)" have plenty of audible guitar work, yet are still seamlessly integrated with the electronics. "甘美な嘘と退屈な薄紅" and "Relic Snow", which are arguably the harder tracks of the EP, even boast a bit of breakdown chugging. Clever programming also pervades the EP, with the drums alternating between satoshi's live playing, techno kicks, dubstep-snares and more. Throughout EDR TOKYO, this creates a kind of aural symbiosis that draws forth the raving energy of EDM, but equally channels the adrenal charge of metalcore and the buoyancy of styles like pop-rock and pop-punk. In short, the EP still rocks out in spite of DIV's stylistic choices - no, perhaps even because of them. EDR TOKYO does lose a bit of steam by the last two tracks, though. That particular duo seems to retread similar musical ground as the previous tracks, but that's a minor grievance, as both tracks still maintain enough personality to sustain the EP. Ultimately, DIV have accomplished what they've set out to do: they've successfully accentuated their electronic tendencies while maintaining their rock-oriented outlook. EDR TOKYO doesn't feel like a conscious shift in DIV's musical direction - it sounds like the band simply manifesting more of who they already were to begin with. Purchase EDR TOKYO @ CDJapan

Onegai!

I just recently got onto twitter and I haven't really tried to reach out to many artists yet. However, I did tweet @mabanua once, saying that it would be cool if he produced an entire album for EMI MARIA - he responded saying that he agreed and would like to. I thought that was pretty cool, especially coming from someone who works with so many big (and awesome) names in J-music.

In some parallel universe somewhere:

Doesn't sound too bad

Gintama looks hilarious, but I haven't watched it yet. ONE PIECE is brilliant (more so the manga. the anime is great too, but I could nitpick a few things).

Welcome to the forum! What Jpop artists are you into?

Good dick is good dick. DIM is still my favorite.

New single from the H ZETTRIO

https://stg.plug.dj/dashboard/ Apparently it's back? I logged in and my account is still in tact. My playlists and all other data too, seemingly.

I think it's awesome that they're still playing this song, as it was among their first. Sadly, they haven't created anything like it since.

Apparently it was released under TSUBASA RECORDS, and I'm guessing that's an indie label. I honestly thought they were major already as well. Major labels always frighten me though, so here's to hoping their sound doesn't get neutered in the process.

NICE!!! Add that to mine as well! 2016 is full of so much promise!

Welcome to the forum! If you have any questions/concerns, feel free to ask anyone with a red or blue name! Enjoy!