paradoxal

I need big glasses to obscure my tiny Asian eyes.
This is part of my "Prospect" series (2 of 2).
 

"Up prospect"

1. Do you feel like you are entitled to free music? If you do, why? If you don't, why not?
 
No. If you decide to share something, it's great. But if you keep rubbing a rarez in my face and decide not to share it, then I'll probably feel like punching you. 
 
2. How do you feel about people refusing to share their music because they want to support the band?
 
I think it's bullshit. If no one shares their music, others will never find out about those bands. I used to leech for many years but when I finally got the funds to buy CDs, I did. I wouldn't have any CDs if someone didn't share their music in the first place.
 
And for example if Kles didn't share　アルルカン's Eclipse in January, I wouldn't have hoarded all their CDs afterwards. Of course most people who downloaded that single didn't actually buy it afterwards, but if even one of them bought that single after first downloading it, I think it's a win-win for everybody. After downloading their 1st & 2nd single I've spent 23 580 yens (~171€) on their releases (of which CDs worth of 20 000 yens were purchased new and CDs worth of 3580 yens second-hand). And that's exactly the reason why I share my stuff - so that the band would get more fans and if even one of those buy something, I feel like I've accomplished something very important.
 
 
3. In relation to the second question, what do you think of people who tell others not to share something they themselves paid money for as they think its content is exclusively for those who paid for it?
 
As others have said it before me, I think it's bullshit.
 
4. Do you think entitlement to free music is worse in visual kei than in other communities?
 
People in the VK community are used to downloading everything for free because most CDs are very hard to get and they cost you a fortune, so I think it might be worse in the VK community.
 
5. How do you feel about people who deliberately share releases in low bitrates to encourage you to buy the CD?  Do you think that if someone does decide to share, you're entitled to the highest rip?
 
If the rip is bad, I wouldn't really feel like listening to it at all and probably wouldn't listen to it enough to really like it. As long as the rip is listenable, I won't complain.
I kinda understand the thought behind sharing only low quality rips, but bad rips might also repel some potential fans.
 
6. Have you ever been approached by people, either on Monochrome Heaven or last.fm, who wanted you to share something? If you didn't want to share, how did they react? What did you think of their reaction?
 
Yes I have, because people wouldn't approach me if they could find it elsewhere. I always share when someone asks nicely about it, because I'd like people to share their releases if I ask them to. I really expect others to do nice things (=upload something they own) to me if I have done something nice to them (=uploaded something I own). I'm not sure if that makes me an asshole but I think it's pretty obnoxious and hypocritical if you download every single rarez you have but never share your own rarez.
 
Btw I'm not sure if I'm the only one, but I've noticed that those people who themselves don't own any CDs always kind of expect you to upload something. They ask things very rudely and don't even think about the possibility that I might actually say no.
 
 
EDIT// Just a few thoughts that occurred to me after I finished this post.
 
The most important reason I share a lot of my stuff is because I feel I'm in a forever lasting debt to people who decided to share their stuff when I was just getting into VK. Without those people I would've never found out about VK, and I want to do the same favor to other people as well. I remember the joy I felt back in 2009 when someone had uploaded Lycaon's Cordyceps sinensis, Declaration of war and Box in a beautiful. If I could, I would have drowned those uploaders in hugs and kisses. I just can't believe the mentality of those people who find out about this genre through illegal downloads, but then never share their own stuff. Sharing is caring <3

If Tatsurou finally acknowledges my existence, falls in love with me and proposes to me, I'd move to Japan. Otherwise I'd probably stay in Europe because I can't imagine living in Japan for forever and only coming back for holidays.... So, it's very likely that I'll be moving to Japan soon guys, just saying...

I speak Japanese and im probably moving to there on next year or 2016 Just message me if you have any doubts about Japanese and stuff, i may try to help

1. Do you feel like you are entitled to free music? If you do, why? If you don't, why not?
 
No. If you decide to share something, it's great. But if you keep rubbing a rarez in my face and decide not to share it, then I'll probably feel like punching you. 
 
2. How do you feel about people refusing to share their music because they want to support the band?
 
I think it's bullshit. If no one shares their music, others will never find out about those bands. I used to leech for many years but when I finally got the funds to buy CDs, I did. I wouldn't have any CDs if someone didn't share their music in the first place.
 
And for example if Kles didn't share　アルルカン's Eclipse in January, I wouldn't have hoarded all their CDs afterwards. Of course most people who downloaded that single didn't actually buy it afterwards, but if even one of them bought that single after first downloading it, I think it's a win-win for everybody. After downloading their 1st & 2nd single I've spent 23 580 yens (~171€) on their releases (of which CDs worth of 20 000 yens were purchased new and CDs worth of 3580 yens second-hand). And that's exactly the reason why I share my stuff - so that the band would get more fans and if even one of those buy something, I feel like I've accomplished something very important.
 
 
3. In relation to the second question, what do you think of people who tell others not to share something they themselves paid money for as they think its content is exclusively for those who paid for it?
 
As others have said it before me, I think it's bullshit.
 
4. Do you think entitlement to free music is worse in visual kei than in other communities?
 
People in the VK community are used to downloading everything for free because most CDs are very hard to get and they cost you a fortune, so I think it might be worse in the VK community.
 
5. How do you feel about people who deliberately share releases in low bitrates to encourage you to buy the CD?  Do you think that if someone does decide to share, you're entitled to the highest rip?
 
If the rip is bad, I wouldn't really feel like listening to it at all and probably wouldn't listen to it enough to really like it. As long as the rip is listenable, I won't complain.
I kinda understand the thought behind sharing only low quality rips, but bad rips might also repel some potential fans.
 
6. Have you ever been approached by people, either on Monochrome Heaven or last.fm, who wanted you to share something? If you didn't want to share, how did they react? What did you think of their reaction?
 
Yes I have, because people wouldn't approach me if they could find it elsewhere. I always share when someone asks nicely about it, because I'd like people to share their releases if I ask them to. I really expect others to do nice things (=upload something they own) to me if I have done something nice to them (=uploaded something I own). I'm not sure if that makes me an asshole but I think it's pretty obnoxious and hypocritical if you download every single rarez you have but never share your own rarez.
 
Btw I'm not sure if I'm the only one, but I've noticed that those people who themselves don't own any CDs always kind of expect you to upload something. They ask things very rudely and don't even think about the possibility that I might actually say no.
 
 
EDIT// Just a few thoughts that occurred to me after I finished this post.
 
The most important reason I share a lot of my stuff is because I feel I'm in a forever lasting debt to people who decided to share their stuff when I was just getting into VK. Without those people I would've never found out about VK, and I want to do the same favor to other people as well. I remember the joy I felt back in 2009 when someone had uploaded Lycaon's Cordyceps sinensis, Declaration of war and Box in a beautiful. If I could, I would have drowned those uploaders in hugs and kisses. I just can't believe the mentality of those people who find out about this genre through illegal downloads, but then never share their own stuff. Sharing is caring <3

Artist: Sadie Album: GANGSTA Score:
The musical equivalent of the human centipede, where genres are held hostage and stitched together ass to mouth so shit flows in one end and out the other. Except one of the genres is emaciated, another is dressed in drag, and a third took five too many Xanax and huddles unconscious in the corner. Making heads or tails of what GANGSTA wants to be is fruitless. A convoluted mess of bad ideas, worse ideas, and terrible execution, the best thing about it is how little the name has to do with anything. If you like your clouds with silver lining, it's not the visual kei equivalent of Sasuke Uchiha's mixtape, but the turntable scratching and rapping still rears it's ugly head when Sadie is done violating all the other genres they think they can handle.
 
The beginning of the end of my expectations starts with MODE OF GANGSTA, which kickstarts this thirteen track tour de force of all the ways to not juxtapose genres. Evoking feelings of a coked out futuristic dystopian cyberpunk electro-rave punctuated with gang vocals, it's about as good as DEATHGAZE's Japanese Meliorism. And by that, I mean it's cool for eight measures and then it needs to stop. But by this point, you've already ventured into the ectosphere and are being pulled towards the gravitational singularity that is this album whether you like it or not, and the only question you should have is why.
 
One of the few constants within this album is how any attempts to extinguish the flaming wreckage only makes things worse. Lead single DEAD END's intro may give you hope - as a formulaic Sadie rock number they're in familiar territory - but even here there are signs that things are going to go wrong fast. Not only do I feel like I've heard this song before - probably because I have - but the song feels like a disjointed collage of half-executed ideas that don't play well together. There's some sugar, some spice, a funky guitar line or two, a chorus with complex delivery, token heavy sections, and harsh vocals that feel like an after thought, thrown about to take up eight measures worth of time. There's some good and some bad, but it's the most consistent track on here.
 
Differences in opinion over the first two tracks can be summed up into "at least they're trying!" and "diversity!", so I can't knock this band for having no ideas. But at the end of the day, the inability to execute a vision even with a multitude of ideas is not a matter of opinion. It's a fatal shortcoming that births tracks like WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND, which is the most clumsy jazz-kei attempt of the last decade. It also marks the point where the album crosses the event horizon and there's no coming back. They keep up their cabaret pretenses for three minutes before sliding back into their trademark metalcore sound so they don't feel too out of their comfort zone, but the awkward focus on English lyrics and inappropriate guitar tuning betrays the band's intentions. The left-field metalcore section sports harsh vocals poor even by Mao's standards, and the aggression displayed near the end is at odds with the rhythm in the beginning. If they had held consistent, it would have been an amusing LIPHLICH imitation at best. Instead, this is a muddled mess.
 
But it's not just WELCOME TO THE UNDERGROUND that sounds like a spiked cocktail of ill-executed concepts. The second constant of GANGSTA is that Sadie doesn't know what it wants to play. A puree of shit banded together by interludes forms whenever Sadie tries to coax ideas into places they don't fit, and a majority of the album falls into this category. Whenever they stumble onto an idea that might work, they suddenly switch gears before it can get going. It would be more prudent to highlight all the songs that stay the course - wherever that course may be headed - from beginning to end. For that, I give props to Tokyo Gypsy, MESSAGE FROM HERE, and the piano outro PHRASE OF LIFE. I would never say any of these three tracks are "good". Singling one out as the best song is deceptive; it's like comparing a turd to twelve less smelly turds. What we have here are three tracks that didn't elevate my blood pressure, and thus I'll take the road less traveled and talk about the few positive aspects of this album.
 
Tokyo Gypsy is a slower rock song, which in the hands of a different band could have worked a lot better. It's the first song on the album that isn't a total disaster, but the band refuses to let it's hair down and get into the groove. This creates unneeded apprehension in the atmosphere. Nothing about this song screams "Listen to me again!", but the greasy back alley male strip club vibe I get from listening to it gives it a place of distinction in my mind. MESSAGE FROM HERE is a six minute ballad driven by a piano where only the rightmost five keys work. There's a feeling of the piano sitting on top of the music instead of integrating itself to it, and feels at odds with the prominent bass line. It deserves brownie points because it doesn't have a section of asinine songwriting to ruin the flow, but it doesn't captivate me either. It's far too long for what little ideas they're toying with, and could have been four minutes and delivered the same impact. The fact that it follows another ballad and leads into a piano outro means that while the album takes a sonic detour into consistency near the end, it's sinks into obscurity in a sea of similarity.
 
I won't mention much of PHRASE OF LIFE, except it's a nod to Kisou and STACKED RUBBISH - a disjointed album ending on a pleasant note.
 
Once the piano from PHRASE OF LIFE twinkles it's way to an understated ending, my hopes are crushed. I've listened to the entire album but I don't know what the purpose was. How can GANGSTA be justified as the product of hard work and musical creativity, when corners were cut and questionable choices were made at every turn? When the band wants to play metalcore, I'm bombarded with rave synth, embarrassing gang vocals, bars of absolute shit songwriting, demented gerbil sounds that are supposed to pass for harsh vocals all held together with derivative pop hooks so recycled the logo is visible. How can one rectify the disparate influences that pull tracks apart rather than brings them together? Take bleach as a four minute excursion into all the things wrong with this album. There's prominent DJ scratching, more bad gang vocals, random unexplored changes in riffage, and melodic metalcore over a house beat held up by Sadie's favorite musical crutches. None of these things go together either on paper or in practice, but the band insists that they do. I can't find any redeeming qualities in this album, and additional listens of GANGSTA reveal more flaws and no hidden gems. If there are any in the music, it's hidden deeper than it's worth to find them.
 
There's trying, trying too hard, and then having no idea what you're doing anymore. Sadie has always been a straightforward metalcore band. The contention with their sound in the last few years is that they're using the same formula to come up with their tracks and they need a way to distinguish them. Thinking outside the box, gathering all of these ideas, and then leaving them outside the box defeats the purpose of gathering those ideas in the first place! If these ideas can't be used, they should be discarded. Instead, the box is as empty as it was before, the ideas are neglected like a child whose mother doesn't love them, the presentation is messy, and it's left to the listener to puzzle out what the band's true intentions were.
 
I'd rather vomit on tinfoil and eat it than listen to this again.

Lol yeah, no problem.  Wish I could have went to the [drug party] live lol.

I don't think I posted this here so I just wanted to show what is inside Masochist Red Circus Limited Edition. 

Took a Retrica pic with my lil' sis >w<
She says hiiii ( ^-^ )/
Sorry for low res >_>"

Everytime I hear psychedelic jelly by lycaon I wanna jump around the room and sing it and go crazy

That cover art is like a . . . Shadow of their former releases. *ba dum tss*

Shadow is just as good as the other stuff they have released lately, so the b-sides should be up to snuff. 
I don't have any problem with them having breakdowns and shit, but gawd they should never take any cues from complete hack shite bands like NB. 

Hello everyone !

I’m new to this forum, and I think that the best way to start is to present myself.
I’m eiheart, a 27 yo french girl (aka now you know why I talk like shit 8D I’m working on it tho), and I’m back on the VK ship. I started listening to VK in 06’-07’ or something, and I left in 2009 (I remember the last song that I’ve heard and found good was LEECH from gazetto). I left because I was “bored” of the scene (some of my favourites was disbanded tho), I’ve totally lost interest, I needed to see others horizons. But I fell again (with gazetto, how ironic is that XD I’ve heard that DIVISION was their best effort to date, so I’ve decided to give it a try, it was a good surprise and I re-discover my love for their music and all that I've missed). So I came back and take a look at the new scene.
I’m listening a lot of music from all horizons and style, I don’t stick on the azn side (I am not this kind of person nor a fangirl). You can take a look at my last.fm (and you can add me if you wish, you’re very welcome).
I can also participe to the dl section, by uploading my own stuff (oldies of course xD but maybe some can be interested ).
I think it’s all for the moment. If you have questions, don’t hesitate.
Bye 
 

 
(i hope my english wasn't so appalling   )

Artist: ユナイト (UNiTE.) Single: レヴ (Rev) / ice Score: Armed with a new drummer, UNiTE. returns with a brand-new single!
Earlier this year, UNiTE. lost longtime drummer Yukimi to chronic back problems. Having been a member since the days of キャンゼル (Canzel), the ex-band of three UNiTE. members, he will be missed. With new drummer Sana (ex-EVE's Yoshi), UNiTE.’s 6th single レヴ / ice marks a new beginning. So how does Sana compare to Yukimi? Well, it's a bit early to say, but one thing's for certain: he's more into showmanship. If you watch the Rev PV, you'll see he plays his instrument about 35% of the time and spends the remainder of the time flailing his drumsticks around! But in all seriousness, his drumming has more of a robust sound and he already uses more double bass than Yukimi ever did. I'm looking forward to seeing how his future compositions compare to Yukimi's!

The single opens up with Rev, composed by guitarist Mio. Dark, ominous synth lines lead into an explosion of chuggy riffs one wouldn’t expect from a group of sparkling VK boys. Prepare to headbang! There’s an interesting rhythm that produces a sense of momentum-- almost a “rev"ving effect. While the initial part of the verse features some clunky Engrish lyrics, it is followed by much smoother, groovier pre-chorus, punctuated by light-as-air synths that squeak their way to the surface of the dense soundscape. This has to be my favorite section of the song. While the chorus is indeed catchy, it's not poppy to the point of disrupting the song-- something you can't say about many of the band's contemporaries. After the second verse, the song slows down for a dose of atmospheric synths and twangy guitar notes, before going into a guitar solo variation of the intro riffs and finishing out with one more blissful chorus. The keyboard outro might be a bit out of place, but it does help to tie the song to UNiTE.’s more typical style. Not to mention, Mio's synth arrangements are always a pleasure. Barring the Engrish, there’s strong vocals throughout the track by Yui. I can see Rev becoming one of the band’s premier “heavy” songs, so for this track, I suggest cranking the volume up to 11 and letting it blast!

Right away, fans can identify ice as the work of none other than guitarist LiN. Solidifying his reputation as the band’s quirkiest composer, this track stands out, vocally and musically. Of note from Yui, there’s a striking “itadakimasu” intro, a funky falsetto section (it’s not written in the lyrics, but is that English?), and a fast spoken word section reminiscent of oldschool VK. The song is very bass-driven and adds to the urgent, dancey beat. There’s also a slight spooky-tinge that recalls LiN’s classic B-side Love_Duck_Core_Nothing. “Squealing” pre-chorus guitar notes and a creepy “scratchy” fret board effect during that spoken word section are among the commendable moments of tight guitar work; this song outperforms Rev on a technical level. If you're not feeling the song, at least give the video a quick watch. It’s a contender for one of the best VK PVs this year! Just in time for Halloween!
The final track, 君は知らない (Kimi wa shiranai), is written by Shiina Mio. Keen fans (and eagle-eyed readers) will know that this is a “different” composer than for Rev. In fact, Shiina Mio is in general responsible for softer, poppier tracks, while the Mio “persona” takes over for the heavier, darker tracks. What’s most remarkable about this song is the prominence of acoustic guitar, which hasn’t shown up enough in the band’s repertoire. As soon as the first verse begins, one of the band’s signature traits appears in full force: ADD technical riffing. No other pop-rock band I know features such prevalent guitar work, but Shiina Mio and LiN will not stand for simple power chords. Instead, they trade off notes, go up and down scales, and show off with other riffing shenanigans. It's what makes UNiTE. stand out to me, but some listeners might be turned off by such unrelenting riffs. Yui delivers an emotional and sweet vocal performance, fit for this type of ballad. While the most conventional of the three tracks, Kimi wa shiranai is a welcome acoustic variation of the band's core sound.
With the double A-side Rev / ice, UNiTE. gained a new drummer and churned out three new songs. So what is the result? Is it “rev”olutionary? I wouldn’t go that far, but it is one of their best singles to date. As a maxi-single, there isn’t much concern about cohesion, so the band uses the three tracks to exhibit three wildly different styles – and they do quite well in all three! I’ve been looping the single for the past few weeks and each song offers something to keep me coming back. While I would say ice is my personal favorite (I'm a LiN fanboy, what can I say?), last.fm tells me that I've listened to Rev the most! Because of the variety and quality of the songs here, the single serves as an excellent starting point for new listeners. So if you’ve been sleeping on UNiTE., now’s the perfect time to give them a chance!
What did you think about the single?

No, this is def. an event

huehuehue

You find WHAT arousing? XD
 
 
 
Speaking of: I just watched TV for two hours and cried the whole time. Apparently there's nothing more emotional than Dragon's Dent and Master chef Australia...

I don't know how I can live without this album in my life. 46 FUCKING DAYS LEFT AAARRGGH

Omg that is so weird xD  
 
It must be....LYCAON! hahahaha!

btw they will hold their one-man live "胡蝶之夢(kochou no yume)" at TSUTAYA O-East at 2015/04/26
 

 

Everyone please wait until Saturday for my review. I need the rest of the week to process what I just heard.

I'll be watching this topic like a hawk and swooping down to assault unsuspecting customers with deals.

I hope they keep releasing these videos lol.  Drool worthy for paradoxal and I xD

Really? I always thought it was a great band name. Seemed like a great conversation starter. "Oh yeah, I love Dirty Old Men. I just bought one of their shirts.".