saiko

What impresses me the most in Luna Sea is how J is basically the father of the next 20 years of VK.

Listen to Wish on Image, In my Dream on Eden and Rosier and SPECIALLY True Blue on Mother and you have the blueprint every single band followed around that time and after. Shit is freaking impressive, to say the very very least
 
Regarding the album itself, I don't think Luna Sea works best looking at albuns individually, as I wouldn't be able to point only one that defines them. That said, Mother sounds really really mature in songs like Rosier, True Blue and Mother, while giving them range to experiment in songs like Genesis of Mind. Together with Style, this is their all time high imo, the trademark Luna Sea sound in its peak, polished and defined for the generations that would come after

I'm glad they're recycling another two songs for a good cause this time tbh

if one really thinks about it, politicians are in fact quite like musicians of visualkei:
- it's all about the looks & public performance
- their instruments are the states of the country they govern
- sometimes they go on indefinite hiatus
- no matter how many scandals they get involved in, there will always be stans ready & waiting for them to make a comeback
- multi-type albums & singles

thank u 4 defending the misunderstoodT suffering angel

load generic_vk_band_european_tour_video.mp4

almost like an irl karma 『∼कर्मन्∼』 moment it is

Since many users of MH are living under quarintine control since at least a month ago, I thought many of you would have the time to write down here your thoughts in a more elaborated way. So, I wanted to ask anyone here interested: why do you like visual kei?
 
The most common way of aboarding an answer to it should be 'because I like metal/punk/goth/post-punk music, etc.', 'because I like make-up', 'because I like X member'. Say, answering by remarking the presence there of the feature you like. 
 
Although this isn't a wrong answer at all, I would like you to elaborate on why you,  for example, when looking for metal music that satisfies your ears, would choose this kind of metal music that is VK (among many other features).  Say, what means those VK metal or make-up for you, what's its value in contrast with other metal of make-up artists?
 
I know this questions could look odd, considering the majority here moved from that high-school phase of "Oh, you like VK??? Me 2!!1, i thought i was the only weirdo in the freaking world!!!" at least ten years ago. But I was interested into asking it directly because, considering that when we talk here we do it leaving implicit what we like and what not, sometimes I wonder which are some users' interests after reading the post they make periodically. Perhaps there are some folks here who would like to take the chance to speak more words over their love for VK!  
 
I'll be reading you!
 
 

I have a somewhat weird relationship with old music from my country, mainly because for most of my time growing up all the golden oldies that were blasting through those 'nostalgia radio' stations either got way too repetitive way too fast or were just plain cringey to begin with, lol. So those circumstances weren't too inviting for me to explore any old stuff, plus I was a teenager getting into extreme metal and such, so it was a total turnoff.
 
Over the years as I got older I grew an appreciation for a small number of bands/artists though. While in theory I would dig the '80s Hungarian avantgarde / punk / no-wave scene, there's really no recording that survived the super-restrictive Soviet era that can be deemed enjoyable or listenable (only stuff that was later re-recorded by these bands in the '90s and '00s maybe) or their music was only released towards the late '80s so I'll skip those groups. If anyone wants to go exploring, try searching for A.E. Bizottság, CPg, Trabant, Vágtázó Halottkémek, Európa Kiadó (in order of 'least accessible' to 'most accessible').
 
Okay sorry, that was way too much blabbering, time to get groovy.
 
 

Poland had great music in 60/70 . 80s rock/punk bands are mostly copies of western bands like the cure or the police, but without budget. My father had vinyl collection of many of the bands from 60/70 so I grew up with this music. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Ryuichi always will be one of the best, most charismatic and versatile vocalist of all time, he is a living legend and I'm so happy that he beat this cancer.
We should just get used to the way he sings now.

my dog is looking up at me from beneath the desk with such concern now that he knows this thread exists

Man this really brought everyone out, it hasn't even been half an hour
 

I heard from a reliable source that he was high as he was doing it, donned in a full SS-uniform

To quote myself,
 
 

can we please keep the discussion about the single please? i'm already tired of people bitching about some stupid fucking hat, yall know damn well vk is full of edgelords who idolize suicide and murder to get free pussy so I don't see how this is any different.

Talking about another interest of mine, while looking up for old VK dedicated web sites, I've found a translation done for an interview with SOFT BALLET. Here's a quotation that put me into deep-thinking, in which Ken Morioka (their keyboardist/guitarist and, I suppose, their leader), when asked about his thoughts over his flamboyant looks and stage performances, talks about his interest in gender-trascending aesthetics in spite of him "not being gay". 
 
When I saw the stage I thought of how you were the weirdest one Ken. Is that because you were thinking of that visual aspect?
Ken: Ah, well...(laughs). A large part of that comes from where I'm a narcissist and I'm all like "Lookie, lookie! Look at Meee!". And then there's the part of me that really loves and adores appearing to move in a state that's transcended gender, so I suppose that's where I'm coming from....
 
Meaning?
Ken: It's that I've gotten a lot of influence from various people, but I've been like this from a long time ago. I really wanted to become a woman, and I never really thought to deny that feeling. It doesn't mean I'm gay though. There's a sense that I was building up and developing my own preferences.
 
(If you don't know who Ken Morioka or SOFT BALLET is, next I'll leave a video of them performing live:)
 
 
This quotation made me revive an old interest of mine on how gender or sexual orientation identities circulate particularly within the people of the VK scene. Till today, there's enough been written about that topic, but taking Japanese society as a whole or some of their products (as anime/manga) as the unit of analysis, but I've never came across something related to VK although I've defintely did a specific search. What always triggered me is that, if we keep in mind the obvious fact that VK aesthetics rely essentially over challenging gender/sexual orientation performances, then it can't not come weird or suspicious that 99% of band members since VK was born --that 1% goes for Kaya and Ao Sakurai-  don't actually talk about the matter, while at the same time they are always straight-supposed within the logic of selling out as idols for their gya. And the few times they do so they have the urgence of make clear that they are actually "not gay" -and then in the commentary section fans support this statements by remebering the doubting fans that said bandoman actually has a kid "so he is definitely not gay!!!". Actually, I've read very, very few comments of Japanese fans supposing/acknowledging the LGBTness of their favorite bandoman and nontheless supporting them as artists, but maybe that's because I have a hard time looking up into Japanese web sites and translating. (Also, perhaps many bandoman actually talked enough about the fact in a serious way, but I  still don't have the chance to read them since only 5% of the interviews made up being translated).
 
Of course, I've been aware since the beggining of my stay in the weeb fandom that Japan, while not having serious persecussion issues towards LGBT people -at least in their last 50 years of history-, definitely don't finish to get politically open about it, and that's why society decided to treat the matter in a don't-ask-don't-tell fashion. I'm also aware that this fact takes place in a more general tendency of Japanese people to obssesively keep their lives and relationships actually very private, too.  But I can't not ask myself if it isn't at least a bit fool of someone, fan or not, to assume that naturally that every bandoman is "not-gay", in a scene where artistic creativity emerges from fantasies of "men" transforming into "women", or even into un-gendered beautiful creatures, even involving into sex with/as them?  (On a personal note, although I don't actually know their reasons behind, I always liked @nekkichi and other users attempt here to call every bandoman by "her").
 
What are your thoughts on this topics?

Hey, vkgy's John here 👋 Today we have an interview with the current reigning kote kei revival band, La'veil MizeriA!
 
It's just as full of ellipses and strange phrases as you'd expect, but there's some good content too. If you were † born under a tragic blood-red moon... I think you'll love it. Available in English and Japanese.
 
➡  https://vk.gy/blog/an-interview-with-la-veil-mizeria/
 
We post exclusive vkei interviews every Tuesday at vkgy, so be sure to check back every week. Previous interviews include Astaroth, luvielle, and Shuuen no Rasetsu. Check vkgy's interview archive for more.

Since many users of MH are living under quarintine control since at least a month ago, I thought many of you would have the time to write down here your thoughts in a more elaborated way. So, I wanted to ask anyone here interested: why do you like visual kei?
 
The most common way of aboarding an answer to it should be 'because I like metal/punk/goth/post-punk music, etc.', 'because I like make-up', 'because I like X member'. Say, answering by remarking the presence there of the feature you like. 
 
Although this isn't a wrong answer at all, I would like you to elaborate on why you,  for example, when looking for metal music that satisfies your ears, would choose this kind of metal music that is VK (among many other features).  Say, what means those VK metal or make-up for you, what's its value in contrast with other metal of make-up artists?
 
I know this questions could look odd, considering the majority here moved from that high-school phase of "Oh, you like VK??? Me 2!!1, i thought i was the only weirdo in the freaking world!!!" at least ten years ago. But I was interested into asking it directly because, considering that when we talk here we do it leaving implicit what we like and what not, sometimes I wonder which are some users' interests after reading the post they make periodically. Perhaps there are some folks here who would like to take the chance to speak more words over their love for VK!  
 
I'll be reading you!
 
 

Since many users of MH are living under quarintine control since at least a month ago, I thought many of you would have the time to write down here your thoughts in a more elaborated way. So, I wanted to ask anyone here interested: why do you like visual kei?
 
The most common way of aboarding an answer to it should be 'because I like metal/punk/goth/post-punk music, etc.', 'because I like make-up', 'because I like X member'. Say, answering by remarking the presence there of the feature you like. 
 
Although this isn't a wrong answer at all, I would like you to elaborate on why you,  for example, when looking for metal music that satisfies your ears, would choose this kind of metal music that is VK (among many other features).  Say, what means those VK metal or make-up for you, what's its value in contrast with other metal of make-up artists?
 
I know this questions could look odd, considering the majority here moved from that high-school phase of "Oh, you like VK??? Me 2!!1, i thought i was the only weirdo in the freaking world!!!" at least ten years ago. But I was interested into asking it directly because, considering that when we talk here we do it leaving implicit what we like and what not, sometimes I wonder which are some users' interests after reading the post they make periodically. Perhaps there are some folks here who would like to take the chance to speak more words over their love for VK!  
 
I'll be reading you!
 
 

Since many users of MH are living under quarintine control since at least a month ago, I thought many of you would have the time to write down here your thoughts in a more elaborated way. So, I wanted to ask anyone here interested: why do you like visual kei?
 
The most common way of aboarding an answer to it should be 'because I like metal/punk/goth/post-punk music, etc.', 'because I like make-up', 'because I like X member'. Say, answering by remarking the presence there of the feature you like. 
 
Although this isn't a wrong answer at all, I would like you to elaborate on why you,  for example, when looking for metal music that satisfies your ears, would choose this kind of metal music that is VK (among many other features).  Say, what means those VK metal or make-up for you, what's its value in contrast with other metal of make-up artists?
 
I know this questions could look odd, considering the majority here moved from that high-school phase of "Oh, you like VK??? Me 2!!1, i thought i was the only weirdo in the freaking world!!!" at least ten years ago. But I was interested into asking it directly because, considering that when we talk here we do it leaving implicit what we like and what not, sometimes I wonder which are some users' interests after reading the post they make periodically. Perhaps there are some folks here who would like to take the chance to speak more words over their love for VK!  
 
I'll be reading you!
 
 

I pray for someday heteronormativity just erases off from the vk scene. It's just so weird that every musician within it pretend to be full cis-straight in a scene where the basic dress-code is actually cross-dressing. I guess heteronormativity could never look so stupid itself.

Did he sing like this before? because he is a Lycaon fan boy and he's doing his notes like Yuuki (whining) and Eros is Lycaon's iconic song/pv. The instrumental has their touch too if your really familiar with Lycaon. I'll start following them now since they know what good music is now. Though most of the album is ass or mehh. Lycaon upgraded Rose from them so it's only fair

Now you mention it, some users and I discussed this hypothesis a months ago, and the agreement was over the fact that it may be true.
 
It is almost impossible to explain other way how a group of little to no known indie musicians (yeah, I know Lime was in Lezard, but anyway... who the fuck are them?) launched from night to morning a project with such level of excellence both in music (compositions, recording), looks, videoclips and overall advertising campaign (remember the whole thing of the telephone number where bangya could talk to Lime to make catharsis of their suicidal thoughts? Crazy!).
 
They definitely had a ton of money behind them to do such, and if someone risked that amount of money for funding a band of nobodies in an currently almost dead genre/scene, I think it's obvious that those investors still now take every chance and tool they have acces to to make Kizu deliver profit in the most effective and eficient way. I'm still amazed about the fact that someone decided to take said risk; if I had the money I'm not sure if I would do it considering the situation, tbh.
 
And I'm not against it at all, because it was Kizu the band that (along Dimlim) retained the dignity of VK all this time within a scene full of ultra cringe-worthy newcomers and slowly-dying big fishes...

Now you mention it, some users and I discussed this hypothesis a months ago, and the agreement was over the fact that it may be true.
 
It is almost impossible to explain other way how a group of little to no known indie musicians (yeah, I know Lime was in Lezard, but anyway... who the fuck are them?) launched from night to morning a project with such level of excellence both in music (compositions, recording), looks, videoclips and overall advertising campaign (remember the whole thing of the telephone number where bangya could talk to Lime to make catharsis of their suicidal thoughts? Crazy!).
 
They definitely had a ton of money behind them to do such, and if someone risked that amount of money for funding a band of nobodies in an currently almost dead genre/scene, I think it's obvious that those investors still now take every chance and tool they have acces to to make Kizu deliver profit in the most effective and eficient way. I'm still amazed about the fact that someone decided to take said risk; if I had the money I'm not sure if I would do it considering the situation, tbh.
 
And I'm not against it at all, because it was Kizu the band that (along Dimlim) retained the dignity of VK all this time within a scene full of ultra cringe-worthy newcomers and slowly-dying big fishes...

Perhaps you want to refer to what some people here call the "guitar-wanking"? That sort of excessively chopped guitar lines and/or fast high-pitch melodies. That work is featured in both djent and math genres as well, although their differences.