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Laputa was a Japanese nagoya kei rock band, active from 1993 to 2004. The band chose its name from the flying island in Gulliver's Travels and tried to portray a similar unrealistic view of the world with their performance. Their 1997 album Emadera was named one of the top albums from 1989-1998 in a 2004 issue of the music magazine Band Yarouze.
 
I had never heard of these guys before and stumbled across them after listening to Dir en grey's "Ash" and their song "舌" was queued afterwards. What is everyone's thoughts on this band? Like them? Hate them? Favorite releases? They seem pretty interesting and I was looking to check them out later!
 
 
 

Never listened to their entire discography but most of what I heard is very good. 
This is probably my fav from them:
 

Ash is the song so nice they remade it twice

Yuu's the best! He broadcasted Merry's live today on his IG (u_merry) live. Too bad it cut off after an hour, so most of the new songs were left out, but they played Atama ga zakuro and Kohakuiro no Ballad! I think it's still there for 18 hours if anyone wants to watch. Sounds amazing as always.

Happy life is a banging single, y'all. One of their best, actually and it totally fits with their current mindset. Plus, the acoustic version MERRY's been playing live recentIy? Pfff... talk about gorgeousness!
 
You can tell MERRY are in a really good place musically and mentally. They seem to be really happy with the band and themselves. You should've seem them live, especially now that テツ is back. They are always smiling, laughing, cracking jokes about each other. The mood seems to be excellent. Confident in their habilities, but still hungry to prove people that they are still relevant. NOnsenSe MARkeT was such a big step to them and quickly became one of my favorites. MERRY is a band that I've loved since the beginning and this one I can say from almost the very beginning. I've been following them for over 14 years (since 個性派ブレンド!).
 
They always had good and bad moments, ups and dows in their career. When MERRY went major in 2005 was a bit wierd, they had some cool songs here and there, but there was something off. Then, joining sun-krad and FIREWALL DIV., and trying to become a DIR EN GREY clone was also a baffling mistake (from an artistic standpoint and maybe even a financial one, it just didn't make sense to alienate your fanbase like that...), Still, I think they created some good albums during the Victor-era, especially revisiting some of them now. For exemple, I love M.E.R.R.Y. and I think it's criminally underrated among the western fanbase. And, Beautiful Freaks, while uneven (and, truthfully, not very good) had some really, really great MERRY moments, so yeah, they recovered.
 
I think they have complete freedom to do whatever the hell they want now, and also a level of maturity that makes sure that, since 2014 with NOnsenSe MARkeT, they are able to combine all the aspects of their catalog and create some cool things. 平日の女 is kinda like that, it has the retro-feel and モダンギャルド-ness that I love, but with their current production values (that I'm not really a fan, to be honest, ネロ sounds like crap and 健一 and 結生 sound too fuzzy. But that might be a stylistic choice, albeit a poor one). All in all, I'm happy that MERRY seems to be in such a good place and I'm really looking forward to their new album next year. (or maybe even THIS year, who knows... there's still time!) It just makes me glad being a fan.
 

god bless you and your YouTube channel, dude. you have great taste!

god bless you and your YouTube channel, dude. you have great taste!

Good evening everyone!
 
As I've mentioned before, Zilch were my gateway into visual kei and Japanese rock and general, so I wanted to start a thread about them and get some discussion the 3.2.1. album. I'm no fan of Skyjin, not just because it's a poor album but also because it was  (IMO) a blatant attempt (orchestrated by Ray McVeigh) to cash in on hide's fame and his death. That's why original bassist Paul Raven wasn't involved. He was invited, but rejected any possibility of playing again as Zilch without hide.
 
Obviously Zilch was hide's plan to create an English-language band but also a more industrial rock-inclined one than his solo works. Picking Paul Raven as bass player was an ideal choice, not just for his aggressive playing style but also for his background, including British post-punk legends Killing Joke and industrial metal favourites Prong (later on he would play and record with several other legendary bands, including Ministry, Godflesh and Treponem Pal). Danzig drummer Joey Castillo has since become a major figure, playing with Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal and Nine Inch Nails. Rhythm guitarist Ray McVeigh's claim to fame was briefly playing in a band with two members of the Sex Pistols called The Professionals, but has attracted little other fame or success that hasn't resulted from his association with hide.
 
One of the main contentions levelled at 3.2.1. is that it relies heavily on English versions of previously released material, but the issue isn't quite as clear as that. Although it wasn't released until July 1998, the album was recorded in 1996. When I talked to him about the album, Raven told me that despite hide's desire to release material and tour in the US, their attempts to find a North American record label were completely unsuccessful: hide had no 'name value' in America and his vocals were considered too bizarre and incomprehensible.
 
Anyway.  Out of the 12 tracks on the album, 5 have appeared in a different form: Inside the Pervert Mound (a.k.a. Leatherface), Swampsnake, What's Up Mr. Jones? (a.k.a. Drain), Doubt and Pose. We can leave aside the cover version of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's Swampsnake obviously
 
What's Up Mr. Jones? previously appeared as Drain on X-Japan's final album Dahlia, released in 1996. According to Wikipedia, that album was recorded between July '93 and July '96, so it's possible it was written at roughly the same time as the Zilch material, which would make it seem less of a rehashed old track. However, it could also have been written years before, so that's impossible to determine without further evidence.
 
Inside the Pervert Mound would later appear in a reworked, Japanese-language version on hide's final album Ja, Zoo, eventually released four months after the 3.2.1. album. According to Raven, he was present at the writing session when the track was developed as a new song, it's title inspired by a Killing Joke song Raven appeared on, called Inside the Termite Mound (other Killing Joke connections can be found: KJ singer Jaz and guitarist Geordie both appear on Fuctrack6; Psyche is also the title of a famous KJ song; guest drummer Chris Vrenna has also played with them, meaning that one entire lineup of KJ appear on the album!). If Raven is correct, then Inside the Termite Mound is almost certainly a Zlich track that was later reworked for Ja, Zoo. Given that hide was under pressure to complete that album, this is not impossible.
 
Pose was first released on hide's second album Psyence, released in September 1996. This timing places it close to the writing and recording of the Zlich album. It's possible therefore that it was conceived in two versions, a more industrial rock version for 3.2.1. and a more expanded, electro-influenced one for Psyence. The Zilch version has a simpler structure that appears to have been added to and built upon for the Psyence version, which could indicate the solo version is essentially a remix of a Zilch original. This is only one possible interpretation however.
 
We do know that Zilch were involved in the Psyence sessions. They're credited with backing vocals on the song Bacteria. A PV for this song was prepared (although it wasn't released as a single), but as we can see here, it's not Spread Beaver or the musicians credited on Psyence performing the song with hide, it's Raven, McVeigh and Castillo of Zilch:
 
This video has been titled as a Zilch track, but Bacteria was only ever released as a hide song.
 
And finally, since it was first released in a Japanese-language form as a b-side (to the 50% & 50% single) in 1993, Doubt is the only song we can firmly date to before the Zilch era.
 
I think the rather long-winding point I'm trying to make is that not necessarily all of the Zilch tracks are simply reworked versions of Japanese originals, and that the dividing line between solo hide and Zilch is a lot more blurred and 'shades of grey' that you might think.  It will always be a favourite album for me regardless, but I thought it was worth doing some research into the issues surrounded its production.
 
Thank you for your time and patience, and I'd love to hear what anyone has to say about both band and album. Much appreciated!

MERRY é foda pra caralho. Meu deus do céu.

From what I've seen and talked with fans, DIAVOLO brought them a new set of fans and they're getting a little bit more famous. EMPHASIS on little.
 
They are trying to play bigger venues and sponsoring events. But, their fanbase is still pretty small. Stable, yes, but small. Let's see if they can sell most of their tickets to their tour finale next month. ReNY is a bigger venue than they usually play, so it feels like a gamble. But, who knows...
 
The fear of disbanding always exists, but I don't think they will disband just yet.

マルコ (marco) has announced that their new full album will be released at their live on April 26!! Details tba...
 
Album release tour schedule:
4/26 高田馬場AREA
5/7   仙台SPACE ZERO
5/8   新潟club riverst
5/14 大阪LIVEHOUSE D’ 
5/15 名古屋imaike3star
5/20 手刀 (tour final)
 

GAUZE-era Dir en grey is the epithome of the 90s. They basically copied EVERY SINGLE 90s trend, mixed everything up and put it in a beautiful, beautiful package. It's kinda inspiring, actually.
 
The transition phase (also known as the ICE AGE, in Japan) however, was very influenced by Dir en grey's later work, such as 鬼葬 and six Ugly. MACABRE is the "transition" to the transition, so to speak. It still has elements from the late 90s, but tried breaking new ground for them with various degrees of success. Sonically and visually. I'd like to expand on that later .
 

GAUZE-era Dir en grey is the epithome of the 90s. They basically copied EVERY SINGLE 90s trend, mixed everything up and put it in a beautiful, beautiful package. It's kinda inspiring, actually.
 
The transition phase (also known as the ICE AGE, in Japan) however, was very influenced by Dir en grey's later work, such as 鬼葬 and six Ugly. MACABRE is the "transition" to the transition, so to speak. It still has elements from the late 90s, but tried breaking new ground for them with various degrees of success. Sonically and visually. I'd like to expand on that later .
 

GAUZE-era Dir en grey is the epithome of the 90s. They basically copied EVERY SINGLE 90s trend, mixed everything up and put it in a beautiful, beautiful package. It's kinda inspiring, actually.
 
The transition phase (also known as the ICE AGE, in Japan) however, was very influenced by Dir en grey's later work, such as 鬼葬 and six Ugly. MACABRE is the "transition" to the transition, so to speak. It still has elements from the late 90s, but tried breaking new ground for them with various degrees of success. Sonically and visually. I'd like to expand on that later .
 

yeah, they've even inspired Kuroyume!
 
 

I mean no disrespect to the OP, but why are you using Cuartet of all bands as a reference for anything in the scene? They were never relevant in any way whatsoever.
 
 

Aioria, early ayabie, early baroque, Kazoku, Dué le quartz, Elldorado, Fatima, indie Janne da Arc all somewhat fit in those description, all worth checkin out.
 
Actually those early 2000 bands are probably the most acclaimed ones around these parts, we could go on and on and on, but people like @r...and @saishuumay have more to say/suggest on this

Not really sure, but perhaps Vogus Image classifies...
 
 

To be fair, their roadies are pretty famous nowadays, I think Kamijo could do a decent job with some MM material. If I miraculously manage to gather some cash I'll go for sure.

Well, it's not like they were super-active anyway. Still, I hope Morrie revives it sometime in the future (it is easily his most interesting project atm imo).

that's pretty cool. good on them for not turning their backs on a friend.

that's pretty cool. good on them for not turning their backs on a friend.

can't believe they are letting this DRUG ADDICT and JUNKIE into the band again. sad!

At lynch.'s countdown show last night, Akinori appeared during the encore, and after an apology, announced he will be returning to the band.

it's the same dude. 
 
I do feel it's a bit wierd that they are on 寺子屋, which is a sub-label of ART POP, but, SEX-ADROID's contract with APE ended a while ago. And leader is still working with ART POP ENTERTAINMENT too...