SwampMan

This is a sad day. They are one of my all-time favourite bands. What's the reason behind this choice? Did they just grow tired of the band? I hope Satoshi can focus on REDMAN at this point and maybe the other members will still continue doing music too.

This is a sad day. They are one of my all-time favourite bands. What's the reason behind this choice? Did they just grow tired of the band? I hope Satoshi can focus on REDMAN at this point and maybe the other members will still continue doing music too.

This is a sad day. They are one of my all-time favourite bands. What's the reason behind this choice? Did they just grow tired of the band? I hope Satoshi can focus on REDMAN at this point and maybe the other members will still continue doing music too.

This is a sad day. They are one of my all-time favourite bands. What's the reason behind this choice? Did they just grow tired of the band? I hope Satoshi can focus on REDMAN at this point and maybe the other members will still continue doing music too.

Apparently neither, just ending the activities

Hiatus
 
From OHP
 
"「FLiPから大切なお知らせ」
私たち、FLiPは2016年3月5日(土) TSUTAYA O-Westでのワンマンライヴを持ちまして、活動休止する事になりました。   昨年はバンド結成10周年という節目を迎え、これまで出逢ってきた皆様、応援してくれた皆様、支えてくれた皆様への感謝と共に”新しい自分たち”を探し続け、音を鳴らし続けた１年間でした。   しかし、その日々の中でFLiPという４人の集合体としての”未来”を生み出す為の燃料が底をつき始めている事に気付き、メンバーで何度も話し合った結果、今回このような決断となりました。   年が明けて早々に、決して良い結果とは言えない、また大変急なご報告となってしまったことを深くお詫びさせて下さい。   活動休止後はそれぞれの道を進み、また新たな人生の発見と経験を積み重ねていきます。それについては別の機会に各メンバーから改めてご報告させて下さい。   今は残りのFLiPとしての日々を全力で音楽にして届けたいと思っています。 3月5日(土) TSUTAYA O-Westでの活動休止前最後のワンマンライブには『WonderLand』というタイトルをつけました。その名に恥じない”素晴らしい景色”をお届け致しますので、皆様ぜひ会いに来てください。   Sachiko   Yuko   Sayaka   Yuumi"

My current desktop:
 

Well if you want to disable absolutely everything (like removing the pre-installed apps and such) you'll need more knowledge than the average windows user has but I doubt those users even care, it's always the more expert ones that are going to worry about privacy issues. I mean look at people sharing their lifes on every social network, do you think they even consider these things? Not to mention that just being connected to the internet implies a certain degree of tracking which you can hardly escape from. Google is doing it, facebook is doing, and so are many others, it was only a matter of time before microsoft joined the club. While I do not approve of their new ways at least I can disable most of these settings from the OS itself and rest by editing the registry. Granted it may not be an easy process to do so but if you value your privacy you're gonna learn how to do it. Personally I hate those who bitch about this situation but then facebook and twitter know the exact time when he's using the toilet.... Unfortunately the future is bleak, if you're a windows user sooner or later you're gonna have to upgrade and what's in store is already known, you either deal with it, stay on 7 forever or completely change OS. I highly doubt they are going to give up on spying on users, it's how they make money.

Couldn't agree more with your review, it's an almost perfect album from every point of view. HAGANE is my favourite song from the new album.

Artist: 和楽器バンド (Wagakki-Band) Album: 八奏絵巻 (Yasou Emaki) 1. 戦 -ikusa- 9. 暁ノ糸 (Akatsuki no Ito) 2. 星月夜 (Hoshi tsuki yo) 10. 白斑 (Hakuhan) 3. Perfect Blue 11. なでしこ桜 (Nadeshiko Zakura) 4. 追憶 (Tsuioku) 12. 反撃の刃 (Hangeki no Yaiba) 5. 鋼 -HAGANE- 13. 千本桜 (Senbonzakura) 6. 風鈴の唄うたい (Furin no Utautai) 14. 華振舞 (Hanafurumai) 7. 華火 (Hanabi) 15. 地球最後の告白を (Chikyu Saigo no Kokuhaku wo) 8. 郷愁の空 (Kyosyu no Sora)
Rating: | Another breath of fresh air blows from Japan!
 
Nothing seems poised to stop the powerhouse that is 和楽器バンド (Wagakki Band). The fusion of shigin, wagakki, and modern rock has not failed to impress me yet. "戦-ikusa-", "反撃の刃", and "なでしこ桜" have already been utilized as tie-ins for three anime, their music videos have impressive CGI and appear to have quite a hefty budget, their outfits certainly aren't cheap, and the packaging for their second album 八奏絵巻 (Yasou Emaki) even comes with a USB katana! That's just awesome. They've been steadily making waves and are the last rock band since Malice Mizer to garner enough national attention to go from fringe curiosity to major label act in three years. I've never had anything negative to say about them, except perhaps that they haven't recorded enough music. It's a common sentiment among everyone I know that give this band some spin time, so this is an album I've been waiting on for some time.

I'm glad to say it's everything I expected and then some.The transition between playing covers and writing music has been seamless. So much so that it's not clear at first what's a cover and what's new. But what's more impressive is how 和楽器バンド have gained an almost chameleon ability to swap atmospheres without losing their core sound. It's the only thing which keeps them from cornering themselves stylistically. This speaks well to how creative they are as musicians for being able to diversify so much without breaking their theme. 八奏絵巻 starts with their most straightforward rock anthem, "戦 -ikusa-", and from there the compositions and techniques increase in scope and complexity. "Perfect Blue" may even be the most eclectic blend of wagakki and rock I've heard thus far, and the trading between shamisen player 蜷川べに (Beni Ninagawa) with the vocalists during the chorus really takes things to the next level. However, do not confuse this "scope and complexity" with experimenting. Undeniable stylistic resemblances surface in tracks like "華振舞" and "華火", but the amount of control the wagakki assert over their style ensures that any resemblances don't come off as different variations of one song. It helps that they are deeply integrated into the performance of each track as well, never feeling like an afterthought or a gimmick.

While they can swap atmospheres successfully without losing their identities, they're at their best when they're dark, mystical, and push the rock side of their sound to the max. It is those moments when the band comes to life. The progressive, unorthodox "暁ノ糸" is a perfect example of this. The subdued opening hints at something larger before all hell breaks loose and the frantic race to the climax begins. The shakuhachi and koto are important instruments in defining their sound, and both stick out during the rising action especially in this song. It's definitely one of the best songs on the album and was a great choice for a music video. "白斑" and "反撃の刃" are other highlights of the album, providing similar but equally satisfying experiences, and will appeal to those who prefer the more direct approach of the band. I also can't forget to mention "千本桜" (which at this point is effectively their anthem, sorry Hatsune Miku), which in it's third iteration has been retrofitted with additional guitar strumming and better sound staging. It's the little details like this that add to the experience of the album and make it more than just good.

The twin vocalist dynamic is one of the defining elements of their sound. Lead shigin singer 鈴華ゆう子 (Yuuko Suzuhana) gets the bulk of my praise for her expressive, emotive delivery. She shines brightest on the ballad "風鈴の唄うたい" but impresses with satisfying performances on every song. Her range and her ability to switch between enka delivery and regular singing is incredible, and her vocal melodies are sure to get stuck in your head. What is not to be missed are the efforts of 町屋 (Machiya), the guitarist and backing vocalist. He doesn't have as much range as ゆう子, but his voice is quite pleasant anyway. The two complement each other in a way that would make Kuroneko and Matatabi from heavy metal cousins 陰陽座 (Onmyouza) proud, and 町屋 even successfully takes lead vocal duties on "郷愁の空"!

They've got the looks, accessories, and budgets visual bands would kill for. They've got the musical chops to keep their mini orchestra together and they've got the creativity to turn their gimmick into a theme. It's never been a safer time to join the fanboy wave.

Support the band! Purchase 八奏絵巻 and other albums are available for purchase on CDJapan

凛として時雨 will release their new mini-album「es or s」on 2015.9.2. The Regular Edition will contain the main CD only, whereas the Limited Edition will also contain a 7 inch vinyl.


 
Disc 1 1. SOSOS 2. Mirror Frustration 3. Karma Siren 4. Tornado Mystery 5. end roll fiction   Disc 2 (7inch) Side A: SOSOS Side B: Mirror Frustration 
 
OHP
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@relentless I didn't mean to come off as rude and I wasn't replying to anyone in particular. I do agree with you, it's always a good thing to exchange opinions and knowledge, though, as you noted, discussing music genres usually ends badly. This is a topic for reviewing girugamesh's lastest release, a band that has been known to mix more than one genre in their music and attempting to place it in a certain category is futile.

Does it really matter into what genre it fits best? Will it change your opinion if you can categorize it? It comes down to your taste, if you like it good, if you don't then move on. These arguments are pointless, modern music can't really be put into well-defined genres like before anymore, especially when it comes to rock/metal and all the endless sub-genres, obviouslly there are clear boundries between major genres and exceptions, but almost all music tends to borrow elements that are considered to be distinctive of a particular genre. Not to mention music evolves over time so the sound of what was once called metalcore can't be the same today, music isn't that stagnant, otherwise we wouldn't have so much diversity in music. Everything is IMO.

Does it really matter into what genre it fits best? Will it change your opinion if you can categorize it? It comes down to your taste, if you like it good, if you don't then move on. These arguments are pointless, modern music can't really be put into well-defined genres like before anymore, especially when it comes to rock/metal and all the endless sub-genres, obviouslly there are clear boundries between major genres and exceptions, but almost all music tends to borrow elements that are considered to be distinctive of a particular genre. Not to mention music evolves over time so the sound of what was once called metalcore can't be the same today, music isn't that stagnant, otherwise we wouldn't have so much diversity in music. Everything is IMO.

Does it really matter into what genre it fits best? Will it change your opinion if you can categorize it? It comes down to your taste, if you like it good, if you don't then move on. These arguments are pointless, modern music can't really be put into well-defined genres like before anymore, especially when it comes to rock/metal and all the endless sub-genres, obviouslly there are clear boundries between major genres and exceptions, but almost all music tends to borrow elements that are considered to be distinctive of a particular genre. Not to mention music evolves over time so the sound of what was once called metalcore can't be the same today, music isn't that stagnant, otherwise we wouldn't have so much diversity in music. Everything is IMO.

Does it really matter into what genre it fits best? Will it change your opinion if you can categorize it? It comes down to your taste, if you like it good, if you don't then move on. These arguments are pointless, modern music can't really be put into well-defined genres like before anymore, especially when it comes to rock/metal and all the endless sub-genres, obviouslly there are clear boundries between major genres and exceptions, but almost all music tends to borrow elements that are considered to be distinctive of a particular genre. Not to mention music evolves over time so the sound of what was once called metalcore can't be the same today, music isn't that stagnant, otherwise we wouldn't have so much diversity in music. Everything is IMO.

Does it really matter into what genre it fits best? Will it change your opinion if you can categorize it? It comes down to your taste, if you like it good, if you don't then move on. These arguments are pointless, modern music can't really be put into well-defined genres like before anymore, especially when it comes to rock/metal and all the endless sub-genres, obviouslly there are clear boundries between major genres and exceptions, but almost all music tends to borrow elements that are considered to be distinctive of a particular genre. Not to mention music evolves over time so the sound of what was once called metalcore can't be the same today, music isn't that stagnant, otherwise we wouldn't have so much diversity in music. Everything is IMO.

Does it really matter into what genre it fits best? Will it change your opinion if you can categorize it? It comes down to your taste, if you like it good, if you don't then move on. These arguments are pointless, modern music can't really be put into well-defined genres like before anymore, especially when it comes to rock/metal and all the endless sub-genres, obviouslly there are clear boundries between major genres and exceptions, but almost all music tends to borrow elements that are considered to be distinctive of a particular genre. Not to mention music evolves over time so the sound of what was once called metalcore can't be the same today, music isn't that stagnant, otherwise we wouldn't have so much diversity in music. Everything is IMO.

Does it really matter into what genre it fits best? Will it change your opinion if you can categorize it? It comes down to your taste, if you like it good, if you don't then move on. These arguments are pointless, modern music can't really be put into well-defined genres like before anymore, especially when it comes to rock/metal and all the endless sub-genres, obviouslly there are clear boundries between major genres and exceptions, but almost all music tends to borrow elements that are considered to be distinctive of a particular genre. Not to mention music evolves over time so the sound of what was once called metalcore can't be the same today, music isn't that stagnant, otherwise we wouldn't have so much diversity in music. Everything is IMO.

B'z -  IT'S SHOWTIME!!
 
I instantly knew it was a B'z song though I couldn't recall the title so I skimmed through a few of their songs to find it xD.

B'z -  IT'S SHOWTIME!!
 
I instantly knew it was a B'z song though I couldn't recall the title so I skimmed through a few of their songs to find it xD.