inartistic

As @evenor just pointed out to me, Portlandia has viciously attacked vk collectors: So on that note, what are your favorite box sets/special packages?

In light of this potentially tragic news, vk.gy will introduce a new feature, wherein you can call your favorite artists fat and ugly. #staystrong

Lmao that banner

Wat a dummy

I have a picture at least: https://vk.gy/releases/c-nagoya/6244/ominaeshi/

JIGSAW seems to be signed to Bloom 🙂

The llll is silent, apparently (リグロ). In my head I say “ill-ligro” though Idk what the l's are for; maybe some bs about representing the four members or something? Or the more likely answer: it looks cool.

This is a cursed post!!!

No, it's actually Visnu!

Everyone knows one of kyo's early bands was Visnu, but it's actually supposed to be written Viṣṇu (with dots under the s and n--dunno if it'll show up here). A recent fav of mine is CμЯЁ-βLAST. Just a random no1curr band, but I'm a fan of the “more is more” band name. If I had to give an actual guess as to why this is a “thing” in vk, I'd guess that it probably traces back to gothic influence in late 80s/early 90s. And I also bet that it became popular in the early 90s due to computers making symbols/alternate letters more accessible. (Crazy that vk is old enough to be influenced by the “rise of computers” huh?)

I posted a (summarized/imperfect) translation of both here: https://vk.gy/blog/undeux-drama-with-vocalist-officially-joins-label/ #IBelieveRame

This might be obvious, but for some people it helps to go to a different environment. Go to the library and use their PC instead of your laptop, if you don't already. It might help you focus in on the task and spend some hours on it. Other than that, this is how I dealt with it: freak out for a little bit, take a deep breath, then do it.

Damn that's cray, I had no idea :0

I feel like that's classic “vocalist is sooo mysterious” vk bullshit

My literal first thought when I read the news “I'm not surprised a guy in a wig like that would do this”

Damn that's a cool set! Edit: how is the photo so cool and their logo/twitter/ohp aesthetic is so cheap and gross

Check for a discography that I posted here. I think there are some recs + links to everything

All planned lives are in a different area of the country than Dali was in, so make of that what you will. The logo does look similar to Dali’s first logo though. interdasting 🤔

Some of my favorites: Sixteen photobooks planned for a 2006 release, that were cancelled due to KISAKI's tax evasion scandal around that time. About half were to be of KISAKI × random VK bands, but the rest were dedicated to VIDOLL, Phantasmagoria, CODOMO A, and hardcore bands that had played with Phantasmagoria. If I recall correctly, all of the books had been completely finished, but the company refused to release the photos. UNDER CODE must have lost a HUGE amount of money on them, and we collectively lost a good chunk of mid-2000s vk history. Distray (old Matina band) had a 5-month single campaign which was never released, and fellow Matina band LAYBIAL never released their planned full album. During their 2013 revival, DAS:VASSER announced two DVDs, but never released them. I was pretty sad about that one. Here's a partial list of cancelled releases in the weloveucp.com database.

Trying to buy items from David's international web shop, but they only accept bank transfer, and my bank is trying to charge a $45 fee to send it. Anyone have any tips or suggestions for getting the money over without paying such a large fee?

UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH That's the most fucking random news. Did not expect to hear about a new Sider release in 2017. Cool though!

Definitely need to see his mug on a box of hair color

In celebration of the 20th anniversary since the formation of Matina and MIRAGE, KISAKI will hold BURIAL OF EPISODE-TOKYO- at Shinjuku (新宿) BLAZE on 2018-03-31. MIRAGE will hold a one-day(?) revival, featuring original members AKIRA, YAYOI, and KISAKI, plus support guitarist A.O.I (SHAZNA) and drummer Matarou (魔太朗) (VANIRU). Session band Matina ALL STARS (魔帝那オールスターズ) will appear: V. Kouki (幸樹) [Mist of Rouge~DOUT (ダウト)] / G. ? / B. Enya Tomoyuki (塩谷 朋之) [Mist of Rouge~More] / D. TERO (テロ) [VIDOLL~†я i ￠к]. TOKYO YANKEES, THE DEAD P☆P STARS, Vasalla (覇叉羅) (one-day revival), KING, and Kra will also appear. Premium tickets include a t-shirt. All attendees receive a present. This marks [the beginning of?] MIRAGE's “burial” (meaning has not been revealed). KISAKI made some remarks about his “retirement.” KISAKI might have formed the new company LORELEI ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, though it doesn't seem to be a record label (yet). Please see the full writeup at https://weloveucp.com/blog/matina-event-revealed-matina-all-stars-mirage-burial-kisaki-retirement-and-new-company/ for additional details.

Thanks @cvltic for the write up! I got the gist, but the nuance and writer's voice of his tweets/post really add another layer of deliciousness.

Tbh I'm glad he made the post, and that he put it in concrete terms. I've always found that side interesting, but haven't had much view into it, aside from talks with unreliable ex-bangya and the odd foreign vk bandman. I do think it's hilarious that so many girls piled onto him for “not doing it for the art,” when vk (and maybe Japanese music in general) is such a commodified, commercially driven enterprise. Where's the anger at Kiryu for releasing 8 types of one single? Why do you support cheki sales which are inherently valueless and exist only to obscure the direct transfer of bangya funds to bandmen? If this is just art, why is that only bands with beautiful members go major? Why is it acceptable that someone in a hardcore deathmetal band can come back two months later in a dokidoki “you're our sixth member ♡” osare band and no one gives him shit? Those practices don't bother me personally--I don't mind artists making a living--but I love the nerve of some of those fans to accuse him of being morally bankrupt when they happily throw their parents' money at any skinny dude who walks on stage with a mic. So yeah, props from me for the Left Eye moment, but also lol at all of Japan crucifying him (as he should have expected). Double lol at Reita, a guy who's lived comfortably off remaking the same 3 mediocre songs for a decade, chiming in. I'd much rather hear the opinion of someone who's been playing in Narciss for 10 years with no hope of every making any money--that's someone who knows about doing things for the art.