Mihenno

Previews are up: http://www.festvainqueur.com/posts/archive/2/?aid=220

NB basically killed themselves when going visual kei lmfao
 
I agree with whoever said that today's music industry is awfully outdated, especially in Japan. There are not a lot of artists in VK that distribute their stuff digitally, and when they do it's only in the Japanese iTunes store. Websites like HearJapan offered cheaper digital releases compared to other digital distributors, so I think the website was for a good cause (especially since they also offered bonuses and higher bitrates). It's a shame that not many people bothered to pay less than 500 yen for a full album they actually really enjoyed; most full lengths on iTunes cost 2000yen, physical copies usually 3000yen. With HearJapan gone, in order for fans to buy digital copies now, they'd have to make a Japanese iTunes account and buy Japanese iTunes cards online; purchasing the physical copy from CDJapan therefore is much easier, even though it costs more (of course there's also amazon, but we don't talk about amazon's digital quality lmao). Besides, I know people similar to me who prefer to have the music in the bitrate they desire; iTunes offers 256kbps rips that sometimes sound like shit, especially on high quality headphones. Websites like bandcamp offer a solution to this, and perhaps putting their music on bandcamp costs less than putting it on iTunes, but I wouldn't dare state this as fact.
 
These artists keep complaining about overseas fans that download their stuff while they're not even their target audience. If my target audience was Japan and I had people outside of Japan buying my stuff here and there, I'd see it as something nice on the side, unless these people would encourage my Japanese audience to buy less. If that's what's going on, then I understand why bands like NB are upset. If not, I don't see how they're making huge losses from it if they're not putting any sort of money into promotion outside of Japan.
 
Not everyone can buy everything, but most musicians understand that; most visual kei fans are teenagers who are still in high school and have no income except for their montly allowance they get from their parents, and you can't blame them for not spending that allowance on CDs every single time. If you however DO have the money to support your favourite artist, I feel like you should. I know not many VK fans feel up to that, but how can you make people purchase more?
 
I feel like Korean pop companies found the answer to that question and it's called packaging. EXO for example sold more than 1 million copies of their first album, and even though Kpop has a way bigger target audience because pop music is just more mainstream than VK is, I wouldn't deny that the packaging and price have something to do with it. I know that in Japan prices for CDs are just regularly high, but Korean pop CDs usually cost about 15 euros and are packaged in boxes, books, metal cases etc. with the CD, a thick photobook, a card signed by one of the band members and usually a big poster for free as well. I love buying Kpop CDs because of this; of course I buy a CD when I think it's good, but that fantastic packaging just gives it a little bit extra. I can understand some indie VK bands can not afford this kind of packaging, but I know plenty of bands can. Make it desireable to purchase the CD, give it extra things that a downloaded copy could not give you. If VK is so oriented on looks, why not add in a seperate photobook, for example? You'd have to pay extra for a photographer and the printing, but if it made you sell more copies in the end and raise the profit, why not?
 
Though selling more copies in general only enriches the record company, not so much the artist, as we all know. In Europe, 25$ for a newly released CD is a normal price and the least you can do (legally) is listen to 30 second samples in the store itself (if it even offers that option). That alone is not going to make me buy an album.
 
Anyway this became way too long and doesn't make any sense probably but I hope you at least understood what I was trying to say lol.

omfg <3
 

Hello,
 
This has been going on for a little while now, but many people are discussing in various places so I decided to make a thread.
 
 
Nocturnal Bloodlust has also issued warnings on Youtube, and filed violations on users, stating that they will sue all culprits, etc...
 
I would like to share some quotes from Otaking, Co-Creator of Gainax and Evangelion, amongst other works:
 
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2012-04-21/gainax-co-founder-okada-shares-thoughts-on-illegal-copying
 
 
 
There is also another quote I remember from the Gurren Lagann era, where one Gainax employee stated:
We don`t pay much mind to people wanting to illegally download our product, we focus more on making a product so good that fans will want to buy it.
 
 
 
IMO unlike even anime, VK and other Japanese music isn`t structured in a way that permits fans to find it, get into it, or become fans without illegally downloading sometimes large amounts of music.
It is a complex situation, but removing all downloads and unauthorized videos online will only harm the industry at this point. There is more I would like to say, but I will just post the most pertinent of my current thoughts at the moment.
 
And yes, although I buy all my music, I still believe downloading is the only way Japanese music stays Internationally somewhat known atm.
 
Thanks for reading.

Pirates don't care if we're taking food out of someone else's mouth. We don't care if we make it difficult to continue band activities. Historically speaking, pirates weren't nice people. We want music and we want it now and it's hard for a band to compete with free, easy access and still turn a profit.
It's the reality of the music scene in 2014. We suck as human beings, we care about a band enough to follow them but not enough to give them money to continue. Don't worry about us pirates because if the only two choices were to pay up or not hear the music we probably wouldn't buy it because then that band would have to compete with every other musician out there for the few cents in my pocket and honestly they probably aren't first in line. NB should just assume that pirates weren't going to buy their music in the first place so there's no money being "lost" because there was no money to be "gained".
Piracy is a double-edged sword, because at least people care enough about your band to continuously download your releases for free. It gets your name out there but it also does take food off your table. Piracy is great when you're trying to get known; not so much when you're trying to make money after you build up a fanbase. Try to profit off the free PR you get from piracy as best as you can. I have no other magic bullets or solutions or kind words.

Kazuki's leaving because his mother is terminally ill and his father can't cope with looking after her. And he's the only son in the family. So yeah, terribly sad and painful to lose him but I think that's as legit a reason as one we'll ever find for someone leaving a band.
 
(Also, people need to stop trolling if they have nothing productive to say...)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

My friend and I got into VK bands in like 2007/2008 and It's been all I've listened to since then. I just can't get into what's popular with everyone else and what's played on the radio. In 2010, my friend totally fell off from the scene and I don't know why. I think he said "It's dead." and I was like "Oh. Same." This kinda affected our friendship because a majority of the time that we'd talk, it would be sharing music with each other. Maybe he was never really into it  as much as I thought he was? 
 
In regards to my parents, they don't say anything. It's constantly playing throughout the house and in my car and my dad actually taps his foot to the beat of some songs. For awhile though, I was scared to let them know that I listen to Japanese music, but over time I was like "fuck it, Y0LO" because why should you have to hide what you like from your parents? My dad actually told me that he liked the song Zero Crysis by DaizyStripper. LOL
 
I'm in the process of converting 2 others right now. One friend who listens to VK bands occasionally and one friend who pretty much only listens to anime OSTs and knows about the songs because they're anime OP/EDs. Maybe in time they'll join me....

Score: | I hope you kept the receipt...
 
This mini-album is tragic.
 
THE STALIN -666- is the best example of stereotypical modern visual kei in all of it's trappings. There is no good track on this mini-album. I got nothing out of the listening experience. I don't often skip tracks when I do them to write a review, but I skipped half of the album before deleting the files. This is the first record I have ever given a flat 1 to and it deserves it.
 
The chief failures to note are Ryouga's "edgy roar", the constant and spontaneous changes in stylistic mood, and the inability to develop a song that doesn't sound like a collage of lame riffing and short jingles. The cheap pop hooks and useless interlude are just bonuses and reinforces the idea that no one in this band is trying. It's the same formula that they've beaten to death since their inception in 2004, but they sound more starved for new ideas than ever. The title is also dull and contrived. In it's attempt to sound dark and edgy, it just looks and sounds embarrassing and has nothing to do with the music. This is the newest entry into the not-so-metaphorical race to the bottom in this scene where bands try to outdo one another in producing the most generic alternative metal music they can as often as possible. I would love to see your faces when you listen for yourself and realize that they spent two days making this and you dropped a good $50 on some flashy packaging and a coaster.
 
I don't know who spent money on this, but next time you can just give it to me instead.

me and my corgi
 

 
aaaaand I have a thing for vk hair so... #yolo
 

 
 

me and my corgi
 

 
aaaaand I have a thing for vk hair so... #yolo
 

 
 

In 2008, my sister recommended me to listen to girugämesh's "Kowarete Iku Sekai". I fell in love with this song. 
I was curious about giru', so I've checked more information. After that I discovered the Gazette with THE INVISIBLE WALL... And so on till today.
 
 
Same here, Dirge of Cerberus was also one of the reasons, but in another way. When I bought the game, I fell in love with the intro (Redemption) and then, in the stage of the game where we can listen to Longing, I was like "Okay, that's a fucking awesome song". Gackt became one of my favorite artists after that. 

As stated above, a combination of anime and video games. BUT THEN... I saw the FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus commercial in 2006 which had Redemption by Gackt playing and I was like "wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow what is this song? why does this sound so good? omfg?" and then I used to play on a private server for this game I was obsessed with and a lot of the music in the game was replaced with jrock and I believe it was Abingdon Boy's School songs so I asked around and was given links to Youtube vids and then I just started exploring and yeah. :')

As stated above, a combination of anime and video games. BUT THEN... I saw the FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus commercial in 2006 which had Redemption by Gackt playing and I was like "wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow what is this song? why does this sound so good? omfg?" and then I used to play on a private server for this game I was obsessed with and a lot of the music in the game was replaced with jrock and I believe it was Abingdon Boy's School songs so I asked around and was given links to Youtube vids and then I just started exploring and yeah. :')

As stated above, a combination of anime and video games. BUT THEN... I saw the FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus commercial in 2006 which had Redemption by Gackt playing and I was like "wooooooooooooooooooooooooooow what is this song? why does this sound so good? omfg?" and then I used to play on a private server for this game I was obsessed with and a lot of the music in the game was replaced with jrock and I believe it was Abingdon Boy's School songs so I asked around and was given links to Youtube vids and then I just started exploring and yeah. :')

that's... fast.

I agree with Mi'ihen about how the Japanese language is more elegant than English. Maybe I'm just a massive weeaboo but idk, Japanese just sounds nicer compared to English, unless the vocalist can somehow bring it in a really beautiful way (I'm taking Florence Welch as an example). I feel the same about the post-rock genre, to be quite honest. I love my post-rock in French, because French is just such an elegant language and it fits the sort of music perfectly, as where English lyrics with this sort of music sort of...puts me off? I don't know, it just doesn't feel right.

I really enjoyed reading everyone's opinions! Keep them coming
 
I'm quite surprised that quite a few people have said that it's actually a good thing that you don't understand lyrics, and that helps you connect with the music more ^^ I've never really given much thought to this, but I think it's an interesting point. Like Mi'ihen, I don't listen to English songs much, and the reason is I find English too "functional" a language, and the lyrics become really dry and cheesy. Maybe it's indeed the case that having some "distance" between the listener and language is a good thing!

I don't know Japanese at all, but there are some words I hear often and know what they mean. (like "zutto" for example) 
I was actually just talking to a friend about this. If it sounds good, I'll listen to it, regardless of what the lyrics are. Part of me never wants to understand what they're saying because I feel as if I wouldn't like it anymore. This is the main reason I can't listen to music in English. Like i honestly can't even do it. It baffles me greatly that people listen to music solely for the lyrics (speaking about english music) which is funny because even if I'm listening to a song in my own language, I'm not paying attention to what they're saying. It's just words to me, if that makes any sense.
 
I think I like Japanese music so much because the language is just really flowery and beautiful and idk I'm fucking weird. With Japanese music, I really feel/connect with the music without knowing what they're saying based on the emphasis on words and the tone of the song and you can just sorta tell what the overall meaning of the song is. Ew, I remember when vistlip released Order Made and I was getting emotional watching the PV without knowing what the lyrics were. I was like "wow im fucking gross but ugh its so beautiful". 
 
The JRock/Visual Kei scene is perfect to me. I can't picture my life without it LOL.

I don't know Japanese at all, but there are some words I hear often and know what they mean. (like "zutto" for example) 
I was actually just talking to a friend about this. If it sounds good, I'll listen to it, regardless of what the lyrics are. Part of me never wants to understand what they're saying because I feel as if I wouldn't like it anymore. This is the main reason I can't listen to music in English. Like i honestly can't even do it. It baffles me greatly that people listen to music solely for the lyrics (speaking about english music) which is funny because even if I'm listening to a song in my own language, I'm not paying attention to what they're saying. It's just words to me, if that makes any sense.
 
I think I like Japanese music so much because the language is just really flowery and beautiful and idk I'm fucking weird. With Japanese music, I really feel/connect with the music without knowing what they're saying based on the emphasis on words and the tone of the song and you can just sorta tell what the overall meaning of the song is. Ew, I remember when vistlip released Order Made and I was getting emotional watching the PV without knowing what the lyrics were. I was like "wow im fucking gross but ugh its so beautiful". 
 
The JRock/Visual Kei scene is perfect to me. I can't picture my life without it LOL.