Ikna

If youtube wants me to pay for shit that was entirely free (and ad free) years ago, then I guess we will have even more reasons not to spend a single cent on their shitty service and continue to pirate. I fucking won't pay a monthly fee just to watch official MVs/PVs if it ever comes to that point. Seriously, turning everything into a subscription service will not be the right tactic to go against copyright infriction, in fact people like me see even more reasons to try to break their stupid restrictions or will go elsewhere, where you don't have to pay.

Also Youtube has always primarily been a video hosting service and not a multifunctional music/video streaming site. Google try way too hard to turn Youtube into something it isn't.

Long overdue update.

^aren't the fire nation guys the villains? (never watched the show, but I get the impression from screenshots and fanart). And as we know in tumblr logic, WHITEY IS EVUUUL.

I prefer photosets over cheki. Photosets are at least professionally done, probably printed on better quality photo paper and sometimes bigger. I really dislike the cheap look of stupid blurry polaroid photos, where you often can't even see the outfit properly. I also see no point wasting so much money for a crappy photo instead of a well done one. Good, photosets don't have the uniqueness factor, but I am no collector anyway.

Do bands nowadays even sell photosets? VK groups used to sell a lot back in the day. But nowadays it seems all you get are chekis. Or sometimes a single photo as an extra bonus (at CDJapan for example).

Also agree with the opinion about the -core trend. There are a few I actually like (Nega, Mejibray to some extend), but overall I prefer even the mid 00s Nu Metal groups over that whole -core trend. The Nu Metal groups were already derivative with their chugga chugga beats and trashing the same chords on the guitar. But most Visual kei -core acts aren even worse.

First the vocals totally suck. VK vocalists just can't growl. Give me late 90s to early 00s screams and harsh singing, those were fine. But the vocal chord disrupting mess that has been popular since ca 2004? No, thanks.

Guitar work has become even more stale. Now it's just breakdown after breakdown, a few misplaced solos, the rest is chugga chugga crap. Occasionally there is the totaly unfitting dubstep-techno-bloop shit and poppy vocals. I feel most modern VK songs are disjointed and sound like two or more songs mashed together.

Ulitmately, and this is my own subjective experience, I feel bands like Deviloof and Nocturnal Buttlust are erasing everything that made VK kind of unique and seperated it from other japanese rock music. Now I know the eternal dispute wether or not VK is really a musical genre (with most people saying it isn't), but to me Visual kei has (or had) it's own sound. Yes, it changed several times throughout it's almost 30 years timespan, but certain elements were always there. And you don't have to look at revival bands like Grieva or Sibilebashir to find them. Even in groups like Keel, emmurée or even (early) Nega and Ayabie you have/had elements that went as far back as into the 90s.

But the more we venture further into the future, the more VK moves away from its roots. Bands like deviloof are just like generic deathcore. There is nothing in those groups' sound that hints at any Visual kei connection at all. Even funnier, some of these bands started out as Metalcore and only got into VK because they probably want to have some extra bangyas. They could do just fine being a regular deathcore band. Same problem with those unbearable host kei groups and same tactic. VK was always a bangya magnet, but it's sad to see how it has become only that.

Good, a new doctor vk band

Not so sure if I like their sound, I think I need to hear the full releases. But it's better than other stuff released recently.

^have tinnitus as well, but since childhood. And it's likely not going away. But so far it's not that loud, so most of the times the environment noise is loud enough to overshadow it. Only in quiet places and at night it can be annoying.

Plus I have been diagnosed recently with an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroids, but had it much longer (it was discovered while making tests for something else). I am still in the process of adjusting the dosage for my thyroid hormones and it's hell. Sometiimes I have symptoms of a hypothyreosis, sometimes of a hyperthyreosis and I don't seem to get better at all. I also have stomach cramps, but I am not 100% sure it's from my illness. And I am afraid that it could be something bad (or another shit to deal with)

Still, updates are way too slow. It's been two months now since the new version went online and we still haven't gotten back all of the basic functions. Good that they did a few changes (including the return of the taste-o-meter), but still not enough. First they need to rework the search function. If you search for a bands sharing similiar names it is often impossible to find the correct one, as the new layout only displays 5 artists. This is especially a problem when searching for albums and/or songs. Whoever came up with that needs to be punched in the face.

The image gallery is slow and shitty to browse and you still can't upload images. And let's do not even talk about the new library and the fact that you can't sort your artists alphabetically.

Pink Turns Blue are great indeed.

Some newer stuff:

very athmospheric goth rock. Double Echo's mixing isn't everyone's thing, somtimes the vocals are drowned in too much hall and wall of sound, but people who like that lo-fi dream poppish sound (like me) will surely dig it.

Drab Majesty (Deb DeMure) is a nice find I stumbled upon recently. Very cool synth/darkwave sound. I also like his new romantic inspired aesthetics.

 

 

lolwhat

 

would bang but still LOL

Looks like someone crossed a cyber goff with a scene kid…

Kommt nach Österreich, wir haben ganz viele gute Schnitzel <3

Oh, I know you (I know that sounds creepy) from LiveJournal and from Tumblr. Always loved your oldschool  VK looks and cosplays.

Well, it is limited to 999 pieces, that may explain why it's expensive. They expect it to become a rarity, maybe.

But wow, I really like the look. It's quite different from the ones they had so far.

I just gotta add these which I think is magnificent, even though it's not something most people would consider iconic.

 

Rosenfeld:

 

Speaking of Nazi regalia. Kisaki and Syndrome did that too. well, many bands did it back then, so i guess that's an “iconic” and typical look (for 90s vk at least)

I am personally more a fan of blood spattered doctors and mad scientists. See Malice Mizer's Illuminati look (but all of their eras had great costumes). Or LuLu.

Something a person on twitter noticed:

Pretty sure the similatity is no coincidence. Now I wonder when AvelCain will make a Kuroyume-ish song.

Habe eine in Berlin gegessen. ich fands sehr gut. Ich kenne als Österreicher solche Sachen auch nicht und war daher sehr skeptisch *lol*. Allerdings finden viele meiner Freunde sie gewöhnungsbedürftig.

Some things I discovered recently:

Polish post-punk from 1986:

 

 

Speaking of polish bands, there is Closterkeller, a polish, female fronted gothic rock group. They are still active, but have become a lot more metal influenced over the years.

Also agree with D'espairsRay. They were one of the first VK bands I heard of. But I prefer ther pre Coll:Set looks more. Which are obviously not everyone's cup of tea.
 

 
Then La'Mule. Their blood splattered white clothes were pretty iconic (and cool)
 

 
Good old Madeth gray'll had amazing looks
 

 
and early VIDOLL. Their looks kicked ass and were so wonderfully grotesque
 

Am I the only one who is allergic to typical tumblr speak? Something like:

“Umm, excuse me? Can u not??? You are literally offending me right now, omg, I can't believe this????? You are literally shit???”

I am sorry, but writing like that makes me angry and puts me off, because it sounds extremely passive aggressive, spiteful and rude. I also always read it in my head with a really conceiting voice. Also the overexeggareted use of question marks and hyperboles is an eysore. And I am saying that as someone who is terrible at writing (especially in English)

I rather prefer people wriiting in 4chan speak or reading through stupid youtube comments.

I don't understand anything
about poetry

My writing is lame

All Art sucks anyway

Fuck everything

SHIT SHIT SHIT

The best I could ever manage to do. True masterpiece!!!!

The have released a bunch of live distros this year :/ Wish they would put out something that isn't live limited

Nun, da wir in einem Forum sind, würde ich eher duzen ^^ Schließ,ich ist das eine eher heimelige Musik Community und nicht ein Business Klub Aber ja, im Englischen ist es wirklich einfacher mit dem „you”. Wobei es da auch Höflichkeitsformen und Anreden gibt, siehe Sir und Madam.

Jup, es ist extrem repititiv und einfallslos. Noch dazu imitieren leider viele Let's Player diesen Stil :/
Ist schwer zu sagen, wann, weil der Übergang wirklich graduell war. Angefangen habe ich mit LPs schauen in 2008. Ich kenne Gronkhs sehr alte Videos, als er auch oft Gastkommentatoren hatte, die nicht so bekannt waren (TrueMG zum Beispiel). Man hat einfach gemerkt, dass es ihm darum ging, Spaß zu haben und das mit anderen zu teilen. Außerdem war er früher viel viel ruihger, hat sich mehr Zeit für die Story der Spiele genommen (als heute, wo er einfach schnell hindurchrennt, ohne nachzudenken) und wirkte einfach authentischer, weil er nicht zwanghaft ständig nach einem Gag gesucht hat.

Ich weiß nicht, wann genau sein Stil mir nicht so gefallen hat, aber es muss wohl vor zwei Jahren bewusst geworden sein. Für mich war Cry of Fear das letzte, große und gute Horror LP. Auch Minecraft wurde mit der Zeit langweiliger (wobei das auch daran liegen kann, das es auf einmal überall war und jeder es gespielt hat)

Ich mag Pewdiepie auch nicht >_> Ich verstehe nicht, was andere an ihm jetzt so witzig finden. wenn ich ein Horror LP sehen will, dann will ich mit den Spielern mitfühlen und mitfiebern. Pewdie schafft es aber, die Athmosphäre des Spiels zu zerstören und ich kann auch keine Verbindung zu ihm aufbauen. Ich glaube, der einzige Grund, warum die Leute seine LPs ansehen ist, weil sie es cool finden, wenn jemand sich wie ein Clown benimmt und alle 5 Minuten ein Schimpfwort ins Mikro schreit.

Mochte ihn früher ganz gerne, aber inzwischen ist der Ruhm ihm wohl ein bisschen in den Kopf gestiegen. Keine Ahung, aber seinen derzeitigen Stil mag ich nicht besonders. Und er macht heutzutage viel öfter streams, und ehrlich gesagt stört es  den LP Fluss, wenn er ständig nebenbei auf Kommentare im Chat eingeht, vor allem während er Horror Games spielt. Letzteres ruiniert die Athmosphäre ziemlich. (Was Horror LPs angeht habe ich mir LaNoirSakuras angeschaut, aber die macht das nur noch unregelmäßig.)

Yeah, that photoshop job looks terribad, but that kinda makes it charming. It reminds me lot of the currently very popular “80s/90s trash retro chic” that many underground and wave bands ride on. I am hoping this project will continue where Art Marju Duchain ended, because I really need more of this kind of sound.

I too will stay. Despite the shit last.fm have pulled off with this half arsed action. But I really like my stats and couldn't dare to close my account. I rather let it die with the site. And call me crazy, but I still have some tiny little hope left for the site (or an alternative), even if it's just really small. But I really needed last.fm's huge database on bands no one has ever heard of except for maybe 1 or 2 people. And there is really no replasement for that yet. And it was really nice to go through others scrobbels to find new bands.

The band picture issue is a shame though, because I also like how last.fm was a nice place to collect bandpics.

Also I am glad that I have bookmarked all the bands (and their bandpages) I am interested in, instead of tagging them. Though it could be that the 0 plays artists might return, once they have re-installed the tags.