Ikna

My stuff arrived safely today. Took obviously a bit longer, because it had to ship overseas. Everything is in great condition; superb service and good communication– I definitely recommend to buy from here

Concerning single musicians in the scene, I think Mana had a very deep fall in popularity. Once being the member of one of the most popular and influential 90s Visual kei groups, Malice Mizer, to a solo artist now band leader of a rather fringe popular band, Moi dix Mois. Even these guys used to be much more popular at the beginning of their career (though I think MdM biggest fanbase was not japanese, but mostly French, German and Austrian foreigners). Gackt on the other hand managed to become really popular and famous, but had to leave VK for that (no idea if at the moment anyone still cares for him. He's old hat too)

^ A truly damn shame they never released that album :/ Their last singles were interesting (especially Beast of Blood, a classic) and that look was amazing. Now the chance that they will ever come back especially with Klaha on vocals is zero.
 
I guess in the case that its release will be cancelled, X's next album may count. If it gets released, then there is still the Violet UK album he promised to make since ages.

Seriously, FromJapan. You charged me extra to ship this in a large box because 'that was the most convenient packaging at hand'?
 

btw they will hold their presents live "罪新トレンド†ネオヴィジュアル†サミット 2016春" at Shinsaibashi JUZA at 2016/03/19
 

Als jemand, die die Augenbrauen anmalt: es ist eine Frage des Geschmacks. Ich persönlich hasse meine natürlichen Augenbrauen, weil sie in alle Richtungen wachsen (aber nur vorne bei der Nase. Richtung Ohren sind sie extrem dünn und fast nicht da). Also mache ich sie einfach weg oder zupfe sie so dünn, dass ich sie formen kann wie ich will. Es gibt meiner Meinung nach viel mehr Kontrolle über das Make-up und den gesamten Look. Wobei permanente Augenbrauen nix für mich sind, denn ich mag es, das ich jeden Tag was anderes machen kann.
 
Allerdings bin ich eine doofe Gruftie Tussi und bei mir geht nix ohne dramatisches Augen-make-up und Lippenstift. (was nicht heisst, dass ich permament nur geschminkt bin). Hätte ich bessere Haare, würde ich sie mir auch so wunderbar stylen wie die Waver/Goths der 80er. Für viele sieht so was grausig aus, aber ich mags. Schönheit liegt im Auge des Betrachters, dewegen rege ich mich persönlich auch nicht mehr darüber auf, wie sich andere stylen. Und sollen manche Frauen halt hundert Kilo Make-up tragen und sich wie Hühner bräunen; es ist deren Entscheidung und so lange sie niemanden damit schaden oder auf den Arsch gehen, kanns mir egal sein.
 
Und was ist schon „natürlich”? Ich glaube als Menschen, die im Jahre 2015 leben, sollten wir langsam aufhören dieses eh schon von jedem Kontext gerissene Wort überzustrapazieren. Inzwischen gibts ja keine Werbung mehr, die das Wort inflationär benutzt um nichtsahnenden  einzureden, ihr Pordukt sei besser als andere. Bitte, wir leben in Blockhäuser, rennen auf betonierten Böden herum und kaufen unser Fleisch fertig abgepackt im Supermarkt. Natürlich ist da schon lange gar nix mehr. Und dementsprechend kann ich das Wort in keinerlei Zusammenhang mehr hören, sei es Chemie (die prinzipiell natürlich ist, da alles Chemie ist. Wir bestehen ja nicht aus Vakuum), Sexualität oder Kleidungsstile. Und vor allem Essen (natürlich wärs einzig und allein dein Wild im Wald zu jagen und Beeren von Sträuchern zu sammeln. Selbst das Obst und Gemüse, dass wir anpflanzen ist extra gezüchtet worden und hat nichts mehr mit den ursprünglichen wilden Varianten gemein)
 
Sorry, aber das musste sein.
 
Zum Thema Männer und Mode/Aussehen: ich habs nie verstanden, warum da immer noch so viel Drama gemacht wird. Es gab mal eine Zeit, da wurden Frauen verpönt, gezüchtigt—ja, sogar in die Psychiatrie geschickt—weil sie „männliche” Kleidung trugen. Inzwischen macht sich keiner mehr in die Hose, wenn eine Frau eine Hose oder einen Anzug trägt. Selbst kurze Haare können auch die meisten schon beim weiblichen geschlecht verkraften. Aber wehe ein Mann trägt ein Kleid oder einen Rock—dann steht die Apokalypse bevor! So zu denken ist hypokritisch und entbehrt jeder Logik. Leider typisch menschlich.

IMAGE UPLOAD IS HERE!! I just uploaded an album art for anfiel's LUNAR PHASE and I'm so happy now.

Got my tapes yesterday too (but the delivery guy didn't bring it with himself). Finally got the letter with the content.
 
Fast delivery, excellent communication and the rips are top

Magenta / Trance to the Sun - Norwegian darkwave / Californian darkwave, really nice finds on the first Unquiet Grave compilation.




 
Gavin Friday - Another good song from a post-punk artist


 
Alan Woxx - French darkwave artist


 
Агата Кристи - Russian post-punk/goth


 
Feeding Fingers - Darkwave artist (new stuff is not darkwave, more like indie post-punk crap)

AZALEA - Fetish 〜Sadistの悲劇〜  AZALEA - Fetish 〜Masochistの喜劇〜  BY-SEXUAL - BE FREE BY-SEXUAL - FLAPPER BY-SEXUAL - Culture Shock BY-SEXUAL - Young Spirits BY-SEXUAL - Sexuality BY-SEXUAL - 4D POCKET BY-SEXUAL - 94 Love D≒SIRE - 楽園-Humanical Garden-  Gilles de Rais - DAMNED PICTURES Gilles de Rais - Gilles de Rais Gilles de Rais - JAPAN かまいたち - はちゃめちゃ狂  妃&関西貴族 - BLACK MILKY  Ladies Room - eat a peach MIRAGE - Arcadia MIRAGE - 流星  PENICILLIN - Missing Link PENICILLIN - Ultimate Velocity PENICILLIN - Limelight ROSE SMELL MODE - FOR DEAREST SHAD∞W - Epicureanism  V.A. - High Style Paradox 5

I also use watercolor and traditional media. It is actually faster than drawing on the computer, but I like digital media better because of the effects you can achieve and of course ctrl+Z XD
 
But these were made with watercolor for example:
 
 
When it comes to ressources and stocks I try my best to search for accounts that offer free-licences, so I can use the work for all kinds of purposes. For textures there is this amazing guy: http://sirius-sdz.deviantart.com/All of his textures are free to use, including commercial.

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.

Long overdue update.
 

 


 

I do not know if reviving this thread from the dead is wise, but I am still doing it, because I have to share the work of god that pinkmakona is doing with her nice tumblr blog: http://fuckyeahfemalevisualkei.tumblr.com/
 
Nice photos and collection of the women in VK. I never realized how many bandmember were actually female. But it seems it‘s no longer an oddity.

VK bands cosplaying as Tokyo Ghoul characters is lame. And it bores me how suddendly every freaking band is doing it (those face masks from the anga look stupid. Seriously)

I can get this for free with adblock+keepvid. No, thanks.

Long overdue update.
 

 


 

Long overdue update.
 

 


 

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.

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.

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.

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.

Most of the bands you mentioned here, at least KEEL, emmurée, ネガ and Ayabie, already had their roots in the 90's, or early 00's. Their members spawned from groups such as AZALEA, Aliene Ma'riage, D'elsquel, and another few honorable mentions. It was only a matter of time before you heard that inspiration back in these members' newer bands and that is why they still sound attractive to the people who are stuck with their tastes in these eras. A lot of the newer bands that came about after 2010 consist of young folks in their early twenties. Surely, they might have grown up with 90's Visual Kei but they haven't had the experience that came with playing in such bands, thus these elements have simply been erased and they follow what's currently attractive to the general audience. This is why you always see musicians dabbling around in completely different bands; yesterday it was Oshare, today it's the fluke that Visual Japan calls 'metalcore' — they simply follow the direction of what most fans are currently most stoked about and a lot of these musicians don't care what music they play, or if they sport demon wings, dark makeup, or a frilly princess dress, as long as it sells. It's why I usually tend to stick to units that bring older members with them (those who are in their mid 30's) because there will still be a source of the original sound that Visual Kei brought along with itself and it feels to me as if these musicians have a lot more respect for the scene. It's why I will always support most —if not anything— these iconic musicians who have had experience with Visual Kei's memorable sound, release. 

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.

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.