Tetora

I enjoy both the halves of their career up to this point.

The beginning was what got me into them and holds the songs I am the most attached to, and the most recent stuff still has a distinct style that although more straightforward, still has power to it.

As I said of their last album, the problem wasn't that it was a stinker, it was that it was like an introduction album to new fans and left the old fans hanging onto a few new songs which weren't home-runs for many people.

But that album sold more than twice as much as their first and they are defintely going to get a push as the new main act on DC, as Girugamesh will stick to their niche and UNiTE has become very popular but hasn't hit it out of the park. Plus ALSDEAD is on 'break' and D.I.D. is gone, do I am guessing they are giving a SID push to the band (just hope they aren't pushing a direction on the band, which they don't seem to do anyway) and if this is the direction DIV wants to go, I can appreciate that and will continue to enjoy them as long as the next album doesn't contain ten previously released tracks or something.

Also, I am hoping that at least one track is a longer composition that really feels things out, like some of their older tunes, second song gives me that idea, but maybe it's just the title that is giving me that feel.

Looking forward to it, I have been waking up every morning for months wondering 'When's the new girugamesh coming?'

This band rules.

To me, it doesn`t matter that much if the band changes structure, it`s what they do with the structure, as there is still a huge amount of space to do different things within, and countless songs have used the exact same structures over decades with very different results. 

It also seems like every couple of years there is a slightly new take on a certain style of music that allows artists to be hugely successful and build high esteem (even if momentary) while stripping the music down to a core simplicity and featuring a certain sound or technique that becomes trendy.

There are also a number of bands that specialize in having a distinct sound and not straying from it. I can enjoy that, as well as bands that use a varying range of sounds and structures (SID, SuG, MuCC, etc...)

In the same way movies use the same structures with even less variation, relying on the material presented within that structure to do something different. And even then, there are works that stand as landmarks, like Rashomon, and live on with esteem in certain circles, yet, way more people have seen the latest Hollywood Blockbuster, and were entertained by it.

The way we interpret mediums relies on past experiences and the sensibilities developed from them. So the vast majority of people will enjoy the same structure, and the same chord progressions, and things that differ from the norm don`t go down as smoothly, the experience is harder to grasp, and appreciate. There are of course the occasional endearing songs with different mechanics, though  a lot of them seem to become popular or connect with an audience due to the way they are still made to sound like the typical structures we expect. 

I always try to use different chords and progressions myself, though the vast majority of what you try with Diminished chords without proper resolves etc.... won`t make an actually good song that also connects to an audience unless it resembles the typical sounds and structure as much as possible.

Examples:

BORN - Alterna 

I think it`s a great song, though you clearly can`t get a good feel for the landscape of it, and the majority of people will just find it unsettling in terms of it`s changes. Same would go with certain Black Gene songs.

DOG - Matsuri

Love the tune and IIRC it was their most popular single. Uses a less typical timing but still resembles what we are used to, and people who are unaware of time signatures will not notice.

A9

Used a lot of different compositional styles, most of them sound enough like what listeners would expect and still be comfortable with.

FALILV

Still utilize a lot of `mainstream` elements, though go further off the deep end. I think their popularity with most fans is due to both being different, and delivering hooks, catches, and structural points we can enjoy under `light-listening`, in terms of a song that you can just put on and rock out to, instead of being lost in the rapid changes of structure and tempo, etc...

Gackt

Always did things differently (less so lately but that seems to be the direction he wants to go in), and while he had one of the more different sounds, he was also always one of the best at delivering the popular elements of music that made his songs huge hits.

NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST

Became a lot more popular when they started delivering the elements of songs that really resonated with a wider audience, they were never a band that went into uncharted territory, but once they started into the VK arena, they presented the straightforward audio and visual elements that fans still clamor for, and grew in popularity.

UNiTE

For me, this would be the greatest exception in my taste. They have made a large number of different songs (not always changing structure, but other elements), and that was part of what made me a fan, though their last two albums did not deliver this as much, and I have been disappointed. For other bands, this would not be as big of a deal, but they kind of developed that expectation in my mind, and let it down. So I think how you see the songs and artist`s relies greatly on what kind of expectations you have in the first place, and they are not always easy to change. So what does the listener expect?

Sucks to hear, just got into them, and my thoughts go out to Hiroki, 21rd time this has happened to one of his bands in the past six months.

Hopefully they form a new band because they were really good.

Any and all room-mates should be introduced to the land-owner, and should sign on to the lease. Even if the lease is not up, an additional party can be added on, taking away responsibility from you.

You can also write up your own contract with terms stating that without prior notice each month must be paid by your room-mate, and they must give a 30-day notice when they are moving out.

I am not sure about the jurisdiction you are in, but in many places, a tenant can not be kicked out of a premise until at least 3 months in a row have not been paid in rent. There are laws everywhere to protect residents, so look them up in your own area and don't let land-owners put pressure on you.

For public transport make sure you are taking advantage of any rebates, such as buying monthly passes instead of weekly or daily, student pricing if applicable, and declaring ut on your taxes.

For food make sure you are keeping on a tight budget, and paying as little as possible to meet your caloric requirements (nutrients secondary). So ramen, rice, cheap protein source, etc...

If need be also look into any kind of part-time job or supplementary income flows, even if it is a one night a week gig being a floater or washing dishes.

Your health issue should also provide you with leeway legally in terms of your rent.

If you are really desperate consider government assistance in the form of funds, I don't know much about this but it may take a while to receive your first payment however.

Those are just some tips, but anyway, I think mostly time and finding a real room-mate will be your savior. Put up ads on craigslist or whatever sites, and maybe even nearby bus stops. Your best bet is a student from another country, they are usually well kept, mind their business, and have parents paying for them so no money issues. In terms of tenants they are ususlly the best to have and what many duplex or condo owners accept right away.

Good luck.

Edit:

Your room-mates screwed you over, no need to sympathize with them, they are adults and are solely responsible with the fact that they left you high and dry while not even being upfront about it.

For future room-mates, screen them, don't just accept whoever, see a couple at least, pick the best one, ask for first and last month's rent up front. Get a reference from them, even if it is their parent, then you have their parent's number if anything. Google them, etc... Gotta do what you gotta do. 'Friends' can be the most likely ones to screw you over since they think they can get away with it.

LOL tetora we were just wondering what these guys have been up to XD

They read our minds!

All the way in November though, long wait but the last album was epic, and I am hoping this single will kick off the string of singles for their next record.

ooo, which Lilith? the chinese band or XI/Kei's band? (there are at least 2 other Liliths but they have disbanded so i assume you aren't talking about them)

 

these 2 years have seen a lot of my favorite bands disbanding (Xepher, LUCHe., EVE, Diz, etc.), as well as a couple of bands that have gone in a direction that isn't really my thing (Belmosaic -> Xaa-Xaa, METEOROID -> MeteoroiD, Ray℃ -> zigzag) fortunately the sheer number of bands in the scene means that songs are being released at a rate 10 times faster than Trombe can do news updates - so rather than moping over the loss of my favorites, i always try to find new bands to get into. one of the most mind-boggling claims that people love circulating, usually without the tiniest shred of supporting evidence, is that 'vk today all sounds the same', which is just plainly untrue. there's enough out there to please almost everyone, do some work and you'll be rewarded.

I was referring to the Chinese one, which is my favorite. Also just realized that Lilith / Lillith seems to be an even more popular name for some areas of music than Adam or Eve... I guess it's more 'controversial' and unique if you ignore the other bands with that name, hehe. But IRL I don't know that many people who even really know who she is.

Anyway back on topic. I agree with what you said. So many different kinds of music. A lot of people select music based on their current mood, and the vast majority of the time I can pull up the right band or song for my mood without straying outside of Visual Kei. I enjoy other music but not as much. Current VK resonates very well with me, and I never tire of it. I guess that answers OP further.

Also Anokuro, seems like you stopped being into shounenki when I started getting into them, life is strange, haha.

Lots of awesome bands I am enjoying. Out of the last three years I think I have gotten the same amount of releases, maybe slightly more each year? In the past three years the current big boys have really taken off and released some epic albums.

Examples from past years:

DIV - ZERO ONE

ALSDEAD - SEPERATOR

UNiTE - MEANiNG

CODOMO DRAGON - CHILDREN`S DOPE

Then lately, around 2015, I have been into a lot:

SuG - Awesome singles and one of my favorite albums in recent memory, BLACK.

UNiTE has been amazing lately, album and singles are nice.

DIV - Transitional phase, but still some good tunes.

ALSDEAD - Still great

CODOMO - Very nice defined sound, look forward to each release, I accidentally shipped my album to the wrong address though so I didn`t hear the new one yet.

Nue - Some good tunes, very variable band.

DOG - Killing it, as expected.

Blu Billion - Chillin` like Villains.

Royz - Beasting and Feasting.

BugLug - Too much variation in their last album for me, but still great songs.

Neverland - Cool newer band.

My Fairytale - See above.

DiaWolf - Cool style, some nice tunes like EVERLASTING FLAVOR, and really cool lyrics.

A9 - Making their comeback, looking forward to it.

Tequila Tokyo - Awesome stuff, great musicians, although upset that the single flopped harder than a soccer player during the World Cup.

MuCC - Still putting out cool and interesting stuff, always a surprise.

Baroque - Love it or hate it, I fall into the former.

girugamesh - Waiting with bated breath for some new stuff, their last two releases were Bad-@ss.

The LOTUS - Keep looking forward to what they do next.

Shounenki - On a killstreak and about to get a care package. Sick K/D ratio.

BORN - Live album was awesome, singles are headbangers.

D.I.D. - D.I.D.n`t hear their latest live limited, but excited they are coming back.

Lilith - Love this band.

WING WORKS - Interesting stuff, full of upbeat attitude. Shades of TMR.

I could keep going on, but you already got the point twenty artists ago, right? I`m having fun. Enjoy lots of stuff, can`t get enough, etc... etc... I can find lots of stuff from any year, though the past three have been some of my favorite.

Lulz.

My advice:

First off, don`t sit around just worrying about things and making up all sorts of bs in your head to hesitate. When people do this, they hold themselves back from living life.

Make sure that your thoughts and energy are focused along a path to taking some sort of action.

Decide if you are truly attracted to her in a relationship kind of way and not a friendship way. This is a yes or no answer, not a `maybe` or `if` or whatever...

If no, then just stay friends and find someone else.

If yes, then it`s show-time, proceed:

Realize that what you think about how she feels is only your hypothesis, which is blinded by your own nerves and the confusion in your head. The only way to know for sure is for her to tell you, so no use sitting around thinking too far into it, you only know so much so far... And as every manga love story ever has told us, how another person acts around you is not one-dimensional, and she could just be too shy or nervous like you, worried that you might not return the sentiment.

If a girl doesn't like you, or doesn't show any apparent interest, is it even a good idea for me to tell her how I feel?

 

 

 

If you really like her, then yes, it is what is best to do, taking action when things aren`t certain is what separates those from just think, from those that actually do. Success comes from taking the risks others are not willing to take, and sometimes you have to swim with the sharks. This isn`t actually that intense, but taking a chance on what you actually want is what people who live their life do... Or... You could just do nothing and end up a 70 year old man sitting on his deathbed with a laptop, still stalking her Facebook page wondering... `What if?`

As for the whole confession thing, this isn`t 1952 so it`s not your best bet. If things really go smoothly it will work anyway, but it is kind of awkward, even if you are a good talker it can be hard to say, or come out the wrong way, but if you really want to go that way, and you put the effort in, how you do it is not really going to change what happens if she feels strongly enough.

Though what I would do is simply lead events into the moment. You already had one under-cover date with her, so I would do it again, try to do something that would really gauge how she feels in the moment, and then, when the time is right, make the move.

If she reciprocates, then all is well, and you take things slowly from there, not rushing anything.

If she doesn`t, you at least had the guts to go for it, and worry about fixing it later. If you guys are good friends, it can be fixed.

Just, after you do it, you leave it at that, she`ll let you know, don`t force yourself back on her, start blowing up her phone, or anything like that. A no is a no, maybe things will change in time, but there`s nothing more you can do, just respect her, and live with the pride that you took action, and that attitude makes your life better in the end.

But anyway, that`s just my opinion on what you should do in the chance that things don`t go your way, which is not even worst-case scenario. You really liking her and doing nothing is worst-case by a mile.

I have a feeling if you go for it, it will work. There`s a saying: Hesitation leads even great people to defeat, while rushing in headfirst against the odds is surprisingly effective.

And let us know how it goes brah, peace.

I am not a big fan of what they have been doing lately. 

Their songs are a little shallow to me, and a lot of their music is a complete copy of BugLug.

This song is HicchakaxMecchaka with little changes and a different tempo, plus other BugLug styles.

They should be themselves more, I don`t see the point in being similar to a band that is currently far more skilled in musicianship, song-writing and on a much better label then them, if they don`t offer something different.

I think they could be a good band if they did their own thing more and grow as that. 

No offense intended to fans, just my thoughts.

Here is BugLug for comparison:

Is it the same Baroque that many fans have came to love?

Not exactly, it`s a turn in another direction, it isn`t the same line-up, it isn`t the same sound, and it would not fit in with their early discography.

Okay, they changed, but will I still be able to enjoy it; are they still `good`?

They have definitely dialed in and delivered what they were going for, but let`s be honest, there may be little or no correlation between their early work and this. The interest will not rely on being a long-time fan so much as it will rely on you simply also being able to enjoy their new sound. From a technical standpoint, the vocals and guitar are at a higher level than their early work, though again, the style is different.

So what`s the new sound?

It`s atmospheric, it`s wide, it`s meditative at times, `uplifting` at other times, and tightly tied together. The guitar and vocals are the center-piece, and they really play well together, like brothers. At first the other instruments may seem just like a backing band, but everything they do eventually began to hold more value for me. If you wanted to compare them to someone, you could loosely compare some of their sounds to bands such as U2, and certain tracks by The Who, amongst others who stemmed from that, but with their own, more modern, take on those sounds. The production is also very nice, the sound is spread out, every detail is nailed down, and it is a pleasure to listen to how each instrument is covered.

So do they come off as a copy of other, already established sounds? 

That`s going to come down to your own opinion, but I definitely feel as if they have done enough to establish themselves as having their own complete spin on these sounds. But I think, obviously, some people will not be getting enough of what they call Baroque on this album.

Okay, okay, it sounds pretty mellow, can I still rock to it?

It isn`t as rocking as other things they have done, though, while I definitely gravitate to a more intense rock sound, this album can hold my attention. The first tracks come off with lighter guitar, but I eventually get a refreshed feeling as SWALLOW THE NIGHT hits a harder guitar part, and the album picks up a little more. There`s also a nice solo in the final track, MEMENTO.

So are these the stand-out tracks?

Yes, SWALLOW THE NIGHT, MEMENTO, and PLANETARY LIGHT are my personal favorites.

Alright, so please sum up your thoughts on the album as a whole.

It`s very well done, the vocal effects are not overdone, though some may have preferred a clean feel. They play amazingly together, they have refined a new sound in a very short amount of time, and the album contains a great amount of variety, while staying unified, and giving off a tight, concept-album feel.

However, it is bound to have a hit-and-or-miss reaction with many fans, new as well as old. The band has changed a lot, and not everyone is going to like the sound. I personally, as a long-time fan, also enjoy this sound, and can go back to their older tracks whenever I want to revisit those days. This is not my usual style of music, however I grew to like it, and appreciate each track more with each listen.

It`s an atmospheric album that isn`t limited to certain moods or listening hours for me, and retains strong guitar elements that enable me to really keep listening over and over again.

Track Count: 9 

Listens: 20

Production Quality: 

Overall Rating: 

Worth the Purchase?

It`s not going to be something instantly worth buying for all Baroque fans. The best thing to do is to listen to the preview, and see if you enjoy what you hear from it, and know that the songs themselves offer more than just what the preview holds. Personally, the preview didn`t do justice to the album for me.

If you enjoy the sound, or feel like you could get into it, I definitely recommend it.

INTRO: 

The latest single by Shounenki, the band that mixes a rock sound with different musical styles, and a strong vocalist abundant in ideas for stylizing his phrases, as well as creating catchy melodies.

PHASE ONE (Initial SPOT to 5 listens):

At first exposure, the chorus instantly stood out, and I knew I was in for yet another Shounenki hook to get stuck into my head. As with their last 3 releases, I got that urge to hit replay. My main focus was on the main track, and the B-sides did not really grab my attention.

PHASE TWO (5-10 listens):

At this point I felt as if the song had a sort of honeymoon phase that had worn off. This single incorporates more pop elements ( I always thought the vocalist would make a good Top 40 writer, he can definitely create melodies that leave instant impressions, and stick with you), and I started to feel like there wasn`t enough behind the catchy vocals to really have staying power. Sometimes, with simply catchy songs, you go through a phase where you listen just for the catch, and after a while, the effect kind of dulls, and you move on to the next song, right?

The B-Sides still didn`t get my attention as much.

PHASE THREE (10-20 listens):

It was definitely a good thing that I took time away from spinning the latest Baroque and UVERworld to give this single more time.

My previous feelings dissolved, and I started to see more in all of the tracks.

From the interesting intros that provide their own unique feeling before flowing into the main atmosphere of the track, to the lyrics, and all of the other elements of the songs besides the vocalists melodies, everything started growing on me.

Shounenki is a band that can mix things up, without seeming like a variety act, they have a specific trademark already, and are able to stick to it, while always doing something different. Out of their last releases, this was the the work that took the longest to really grow on me, but now it is the single which I really enjoy the most in terms of getting play out of all of the tracks. With the other releases, since each track had their own feel, I would really stick to one over the others, but this release definitely flows beautifully, and I can put all 3 tracks in a queue, just letting them repeat over and over again.

From the pop-styled verses, to the rap input, to the lightly employed harsh vocals, and so forth, I really enjoy all of it, and am glad I gave the single time to really work on me.

If I had to make any criticism, it MIGHT be that the vocalist is a bit ahead of the rest of the band, including the guitarist, in terms of song creation, as even when they do use different styles, it is dictated by the vocals, and the guitar can kind of keep playing power chords styling`s (though the band is good). Some people may want the whole band to be able to switch styles like SID or UNiTE can. Though, some may appreciate that the tracks keep more of a rock anchoring, which prevents them from possibly feeling more like a variety act, and gives them a solid, reliable sound.

Track Count: 3 1/2 (3 Versions; all with title track, Limited containing an instrumental and DVD, Type A and B each having a unique B-Side. 926 yen each.)

Listens: 20+

Production Quality:

Overall Rating:  (Consider it a 4 star minimum for me)

Worth the Purchase?

If you enjoyed their latest works, it is definitely worth checking out. The SPOT just gives you a taste, and there is a lot more to experience in the complete tracks.

So awesome.

Love that they have an established signature sound, that they keep adding elements to, and mixing up. The playing is great as always, and it is cool how they have a certain story that feels like it is connected through their PV`s since the Serial Story.

I think the album will be amazing. 

No idea what it is called, usually just think of it `that  indie music with lots of leads and fills`. There are a lot of bands that use `similar` styles, if you are looking for the same characteristics that I associate with it.

I associate a lot of bands and songs with Radwimps because there seem to be a lot songs or bands that are influenced by them. But then again maybe there are other acts which predate them with that specific style, dunno.

I just made lists of some that came to mind, maybe you like some, maybe you don`t, you probably already know some as well:

RADWIMPS - おしゃかしゃま

yeti - monochro

illion - BEEHIVE (Solo from Radwimps)

the HIATUS - Thirst

Different, but similar feelings at times (for me at least):

Ling Tosite Sigure - Monster

Tk from Ling Tosite Sigure - Unravel

A little different, but also a strong overlapping melodic emphasis, just focused more on one instrument: 

Zoro - Latency Snow

Also reccomended:

クリープハイプ - エロ

Alexandros - Waitress Waitress

MIYAVI - WHAT`S MY NAME

サカナクション

Also dunno if this was supposed to go in the Recommendation Thread or whatever, but maybe you could put the band name in the thread title and so forth at least so the site is sorted better. Just my input.

lol I can't even argue with someone deluded enough to believe that there's no originality in this era of classical music (ades, muhly, luther adams would like to speak with you)

 

(also "proletariat musical theory", lol what? calm down lenin)

 

it's v cute that you try and discredit my opinion with some ad hominems and some strawman arguments tho!! keep on believing that whoever is headlining takadanobaba area to 40 mitsu and has a half page spread in cure is the future of music 

There seems to be some confusion here.

First of all, as we know, ad hominem is more along the lines of attacking someone or something`s character or attributes when it is not pertinent to the argument, and merely a insult for the sake of throwing an insult. I didn`t attempt to make such an argument in my previous post, and the latter of it was about some of the fandom in general, not you in particular as I do not know you.

But back to ad hominem, this form of `argument` falls more closely in line with calling someone an idiot instead of simply providing a counter-point to someone`s perspective, or, for example, calling someone deluded, drawing unsubstantiated comparisons like referring to someone as Lenin, and so forth. It also can be found in the same area as statements which use terms such as `garbage hole`.

As for the strawman arguments, I`m not certain what you are referring to as you don`t seem to want to mention them, or provide a counter-argument to them. I would consider a strawman argument something along the lines of your statement about Takadanobaba, which I never mentioned, and `the future of music` which I never mentioned either, and made no claims about. I also don`t see how any discussion of originality, creativity, value, would be inherently linked to speaking of the future of anything. The discussion did not go in that direction. I`m more than willing to give my full thoughts on any matter, so I don`t think we need to make assumptions, or put words into my mouth.

Regarding the classical music thing, I wrote this:

Yes, and we can take almost anything and lay the same sassy rhetoric on it (and I know to not take what you say as dead-serious, but I`m going to go on anyway):

 

And so forth.

 

Yet people usually have the inclination in those cases to guess that the people talking are just going on in a pointless diatribe based on some temporary need to feel that their favorite music or era is the best.

 

To signify that I was not displaying my own opinions, simply giving the same examples for different areas of music, and the criticism they have faced, which many people, including you, as you have proved, disagree with, in the same way that someone may disagree that Older Visual Kei has more value, creativity, etc... per square bandmember.

All the examples listed are indeed actual arguments made throughout the ages, and the same arguments have been made during every shift in what people now cast under the vastly liberal term of `classical`. They have been made by regular listeners, highly esteemed critics, highly esteemed musicians, and so forth.

And no, this is not a simple comparison that puts Rock and Baroque side by side, it`s a demonstration of how the same tired argument has dragged on for ages, yet every time their is a shift, many people seem to say `every time the argument was made before, it was wrong, but this time, it`s right`.

Anyway, hopefully that clears it all up, I`m here to discuss things, and share my interest in Visual Kei, etc... Not to feud over matters or get too far away from the point. I think your last remarks were more based around confusion in my earlier post.

Hopefully we can move forward, and if there are future posts, they will move thoroughly address previously made points and we can stay even more on topic.

Thanks.

To be honest, looking at how VK has been from the start, you can see clear recemblances with the pop industry and that's much because of how the japanese music industry look. Everyone might think that these bands are very individual etc but truth be told many of them obviously want to go on a label for better marketing and well better everything and when you go on a label in Japan they will sort of control the band. I'm writing my thesis partly about VK for the moment and I've read japanese material about the VK scene and also talked with one of my teachers who knows a bit about both japan and music there (not vk though but from the litterature I get the feeling what he had to say about it fits even the VK scene). and I think it's also a cultural thing, you can't get away from the japanese system, and the business-system in japan is probably hard pass by without ending up in the middle.

 

The music industry shares many similarities between scenes and genres worldwide. We can bring up similarities between Visual Kei and Pop in the obvious, natural way, or we can try and push some kind of spin on it where the similarities are not natural, and are somehow a part of some `negative` part of Visual Kei, which makes no sense when actually broken down. There`s not much I can find that is exclusive to Visual Kei in terms of their dealings with the record industry that we haven`t seen and heard about, even in much larger degrees in other scenes and genres, even Punk artists signed to major labels, and `Gangster` rappers under major labels as well. Just seems like a lame pot-shot at Visual Kei in general, which people seem to love doing, along with being cynical about the whole thing, but that isn`t exclusive to the Visual Kei fanbase either. But on the other hand, had the article been about some other cultural or subcultural aspects, I am sure they would be much more inclined to just give people straight information instead of unsubstantiated rhetoric.

And let`s not forget the Indie artists outselling many major Rock artists at the moment, and staying on their Indie labels...

you may not like it but it's true, neo visual kei is a void of originality and a garbage hole of recycled ideas

 

Yes, and we can take almost anything and lay the same sassy rhetoric on it (and I know to not take what you say as dead-serious, but I`m going to go on anyway):

Old-School Visual Kei is a void of originality, and a garbage hole of rehashed New Wave, Grunge Goth Mall Metal with some JPop hooks thrown in for posterity.

Classic Rock is a void of originality and a garbage hole of ripped off Blues ideas this time brought to you by a white-man.

This era of `Classical` music is a void of originality, and a garbage hole of proletariat musical theory as well as recycled ideas from this other age of `Classical` music.

And so forth.

Yet people usually have the inclination in those cases to guess that the people talking are just going on in a pointless diatribe based on some temporary need to feel that their favorite music or era is the best.

Although that`s not always the case. Sometimes it might just be a case of not knowing what you don`t know.

Sometimes you just have to wonder what credentials people feel are necessary to make a statement on something. And it seems like downloading a few releases out of the hundreds, and clicking on a few PV spots gives people enough wisdom to go out to the Town Square and give their decree to the world.

Can the people harping on about their lack of esteem for Indie bands name the top VK Indie bands?

Can people even nail down Neo-Visual Kei so that they can make a statement on it?

Is it not obvious that without some actual measures and reasoning, almost all discussions of originality or value in Art are rhetoric and opinionated?

It would be nice to actually have discussions where people can just accept that people like different era`s of the music, different bands, etc... And not try and generalize things or try to departmentalize Visual Kei or it`s sub-genre`s.

Whether the poster I replied to is trolling or not, the post represents the actual way a lot of people `discuss` Visual Kei, and obviously only a certain small crowd of people want to read through how `Visual Kei isn`t original, it sucks now, I don`t like this band so they suck, it`s all about the looks, etc...` every single time they even think of clicking on a web page that includes the words `Visual Kei`.

And I also would like it if the bigger fans who seem to actually seem to be way more into than most, expressed themselves more (whether the lack is due to no interest, or not feeling comfortable, I don`t know.)

Just my thoughts. I posted the thread to see if it could spring-board into something interesting. But it seems like at most it`ll go down the same road. Ah well.

And in response to Perez. I have all the latest Cure and Shoxx, never saw anything about any relatively `new` subgenres, though I don`t always read the whole mag.

http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/11233/The-story-of-visual-kei

When I started reading this article I knew that it might be `nerd-rage` inducing for some VK fans.

Obviously it`s hard for a lot of fans who may be very passionate about something to read someone else`s interpretation of what they love, especially when it is a perceived `outsider`.

What do you think of how they covered the subject?

Anything you disagreed with?

-----

Here`s what I posted as a comment, hehe, it gives a hint as to what my thoughts were (it appears that comments need to be verified though, so it`s not up as of me posting this):

It`s good to see coverage on Visual Kei, though I don`t agree with all of the information presented, especially the sprinkled on opinions like the whole last paragraph with the Idol comparison, and`Genuine originality seems to be dying out.`or the interpretation of Neo Visual Kei.

Then there are points like Sug, LM.C, etc... `appealed to an increasingly mainstream audience`, bands like X, Luna, Dir en Grey, SID and so forth appealed to an exponentially larger audience as opposed to SuG who as of late released an album that only went to around #30 in the charts, and is being well outsold by Indie bands who are by no measure catering to any mainstream.

As the article is meant to expose newcomers to Visual Kei I think it is misleading, too opinionated, and may give readers false impressions. It would be better to direct readers to find out more about the bands, styles, trends, and so forth and find out for themselves.

Just my opinion as a VK fan. Thanks.

Also, at least they got one thing right, IMO,  Hosts and others imitated VK style, not the other way around (unless they are Kameleo or Golden Bomber etc...)
 

-----

The site seems like it may be interesting for some people, they have different magazines for different cities, here are some other articles you may have seen which I found because Yahoo sucks and couldn`t find what I actually wanted:

Popularity of Japanese acts overseas:

http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/10338/Big-in-and-out-of-Japan

Lilith:

http://www.timeoutshanghai.com/features/Music-Music_features/19998/Introducing-Lilith.html

Conclusion of Studies on Humanoid Subjects in Dimension 113XR:

Music, like drugs, simulates emotions and feelings, triggers chemical responses, and can often replace the need to actually accomplish things in life, experience things outside of the Humanoid`s own head, and so forth.

Even feelings such as sadness become wired so that the user starts to enjoy them, and latches onto sad songs or certain drugs to re-live those feelings, to feel that sadness, and perhaps bring them closer to something they lost, as that sad feeling is all that they have left.

Eventually the chemicals associated either stop firing, or lose their potency.

Subjects move on to the next song, the next drug, pursuing an endless cycle that is first attached to their current station in life, and then morphs into their very station in life.

Bach, later heralded as a great genius, created a new composition weekly as the people would prefer to not be inconvenienced by hearing the same composition two weeks in a row, despite not being able to play it out on their yet-to-be-invented MP3 players and smartphones.

Humanoids take issue with the disposable nature of current music, and debate issues of quality in the music created by certain artist-bots, yet do not discuss how they helped perpetuate the disposable nature of music, and devalue it with their current electronic ecosystem of downloading as much music as their computers and patience can handle, for free, and decide that they hate an artist or release after listening to the creation a grand total of quite possibly one full rotation, or less. The humanoid then proceeds to either delete the files, or leave them to mingle with countless other files in a forgotten corner of their computer drive.

If it amuses the user, they may partake in spreading ill words about the work and artist for as long as they can continue to receive attention for it. They can often spend more time partaking in this activity than actually listening to the work itself.

The subjects often place listening to music for pleasure higher than consuming drugs, although both often provide similar results, and unfortunately, Humanoids can not be as socially accepted for an act which is more obviously based around instant stimulation, similar to masturbation, and can not as easily argue that they are entitled to free drugs, or download drugs for free and cut profits for the grower or meth-lab industry in half.

The subjects argue that music can spread emotions and ideas in a unique way, yet this is left out of most critical review and analysis, where technical aspects are often favored. This also perplexes older Humanoids who wonder how Bach and The Beatles made way for Dubstep and works that fall into the current Pop Top 40.

Humanoids have also failed to create an agreeable criteria for rating music or its quality, despite having centuries to do so, and often resort to arguments or acts of downright hatred when they continuously re-discover that they are unable to share or sometimes even communicate their feelings and tastes to others without disagreement.

All of these issues and the striking similarities between music and drug-use have led us to come to the conclusion that music should be removed from the dimension that Humanoids inhabit, and that their brains should also be altered in order to remove the sectors that enable what they identify as taste`s and opinions.

MONTRÉAL RAW LIVE REPORT!

Just got back from an absolutely awesome night, where I MORE than got my money`s worth!

Rolled in early, me and my crew got the new gear, wanted Ziggler`s stuff too, but they only had small sizes and XXL... Argh! Also, people have Bullet Club shirts (from New Japan Pro Wrestling!), and also some NXt shirts that they wore, like Kevin Owens`.
Got to my seat, place started filling up nicely.

Crowd was hot, chanting Ole, and getting pumped.

SuperStars dark match was Swagger vs. Harper. Both were popular, Swagger a little more, he lost though with a devastating combo.

Then it was Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores. Lucha were well over, and people boo`d the Matadores, El Torito was getting a lot of heat, lol, but he was super entertaining.

Then we kick off Raw, Randy is still over like there is no tomorrow, and I can`t help but admire his amazing look, presence, focus, and body language (which has to be some of the best of all time). Just the little things he does, like react to a bad pun by New Day, is so well done.

Roman was half over, and had half-baked heat. Not close to a Cena reaction at all, and people will boo Reigns getting attention, but then cheer him for a nice move, like the Samoan catch, or Suicide Dive.

New Day, people loved to hate, it was genuine heat when they were good guys, but now that they are bad guys people love to chant New Day Sucks, and honestly couldn`t help but crack up at some of their jokes. It works well. Also kids still like New Day, lulz.

Natalya was absolutely beautiful. Words can`t describe, I tell ya.

Ryback got a stupid reaction, IMO, the Goldberg thing makes no sense, but he played off it well, and people quickly changed their tune to chant FEED ME MORE.

People like Wyatt but honestly don`t seem to listen to what he says.

Barrett looks great in person, on t.v. he looks kind of slim, but I was really impressed in person, he has nice mass.

Ambrose was over, he is more over than Roman, and one of the most over guys period, with no haters. Seth also gets lots of cheers mixed in. Crowd loved their match, and both of their personalities are pretty much perfected. Ambrose put on a better match than usual as well, really stepping it up and showing people he has more range.

Bella Twins are over, the whole place really wanted to see them, even if they might not care as much about a match, they want to see them, so they are definitely a draw. When their music hits everyone stands up instantly.

People really like Fandango, and they also REALLY like Lana. Rusev also gets genuine heat.

Nobody really cared that much about Ascension.

Sheamus is also a heel that people like a lot now.
Neville is over, even though some people didn`t know who he was they instantly seemed to start to like him.
Ziggler is well over, and has always been one of the guys who has that `larger than life` feel. Only a few guys have it, IMO, no matter what their size, or what they do, like Bryan, Punk, Jericho, Mysterio, and obviously guys like Cena and Orton. Ambrose and Rollins also have it coming in. I think Roman needs more time, as he seems a little shaken and not 100% sure of himself and his role in the WWE due to crowd reactions. Orton outshines him now, but I think Roman can be great if he finds himself.

Also, lol, people boo`d Cole when he entered, popped big for JBL, and popped even bigger for Booker.

But as for Cena himself...

Oh man, it doesn`t matter what time they put him on, he is the Main Event. The reaction was EARTH SHATTERING. Just for him, then they throw in a build-up to Sami, have Bret come out, then legit have Sami come out? It was deafening, and people went nuts. Biggest reactions of the night.

I checked the WWE Youtube videos, and as usual, they turn down the crowd noise for moments like this, because you legit would not be able to hear anyone talk in the ring. It`s something else.

Obviously we loved Sami, and I am not sure how much you saw on t.v., but he was LEGIT HURT at the beginning of the match, then they went to commercial. Cena spoke to Sami, and spoke to the refs, etc... He made Sami was okay and could still go. Sami popped his shoulder back in, started hitting it, and stretched it out on the ropes. Cena then tried to favor his other side as to not attack where Sami is weak.

Sucks for Sami, as this was his big moment, as he left the ring, he was fighting back tears, I am sure they were half from the pain, and half from the emotions of making his RAW debut in Montréal and having it go slightly wrong.

Also, quick note, most guys are given tips or instructions by the camera guys and refs, etc... The only guys who actually give instructions or their input to the refs and camera are Cena, Orton and HHH.

Anyway, the main event was nice. I get the feeling people don`t really hate Kane, and don`t even want to legit boo him. Ambrose walked out on top as you know, and the crowd loved it.

But after the show... Oh man...

We had Pat Patterson appreciation night, they played back all the videos and more, with everyone saying how much he did for them, how great he was at coming up with ideas...

And I had no idea, but VINCE came out, and everyone popped hard and sang his theme. It was amazing to see him.

Then Bret came out again and talked about Pat`s amazing legacy.

They gave him a Montréal Canadiens jersey with `Patterson` on it, and the number 1.

Pat was fighting back the tears the whole time.

Then... man oh man...

Motorhead hit...

HHH came out, I couldn`t believe it, I wanted to see him SO BAD!

It was amazing, and everyone popped hard. We all started chanting HHH, but Trips gave us a look like: Wait a minute, this night`s not about me, lol`. And he turned the attention to Pat again quickly.

Trips told some old Pat Patterson stories, and then presented him with a beautiful framed display of a custom White Intercontinental Belt, which looked absolutely awesome, one of the nicest I ever saw. And some pictures of important moments in Pat`s history. It was awesome.

All the wrestlers were on the stage, btw, and cheering him. Pat sang `My Way` and then the show was over. Cena and Trips spoke to Pat as they walked out.

And btw, Fandango and Roman stood close on stage, and chatted as they walked out, so I think they might be good friends. Just something I noticed.


I think that`s all I had to say, nothing too exclusive, just my observations and maybe some things you missed on t.v. My lungs are sore, my voice is gone, my hands are still red from clapping, and I had so much fun.
If you have any questions just post them or P.M. and I will most likely add the answers to the end of this post.

Looking forward to it.

Fitting title for them.

Very strong start for your band, I really like the song, and see that you already have the tools to set yourselves apart with a nice, defined sound, good language skills and from I what I see in your avi, a good look.

I don`t use Facebook so not sure if I am missing something, but I would like to see more of your band`s look, and read about your influences, etc... when that is available.

I`ll be following your future work, please keep us updated!

Looking forward to this!

It is in a long time, but they have been working non-stop for a while now so I think it is good.

Lots of big shows, new Hall tour, and great releases.

They said their last album was all about sounds from the Past, Present and Future of DOG, so it was very different, and that has me wondering what Meteorite will sound like. Their last two singles were amazing, so let's see what happens.

Can't get over this epic character design. Simple yet addictive:

http://imgur.com/tLs5RtD

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCpamoCXIAAy1G6.jpg:large

Nomura did it again.

Edit: Looking again at it, it`s kind of like a sexual look, but at the same time, she looks strong like she can snap up your sh!t or inject you with some bad stuff, so I find it cool, they have control over their world, and aren`t just an object in yours.

Seriously regret coming into this thread, but anyway, gotta completely disagree with Jon Jonz:

Yeah, and the internet should only be used for military purposes, which is where it came from and not for you to express your ignorant bullshit, right ?

 

Pretty bad way to start a post that just may end up outdoing any ignorance or bullsh!t that came before it in the thread.
 

 

VK fans are almost always so narrow minded.

 

Is that a statistic? Maybe I should listen to something else so I can open my mind, see the real world, be one with the universe....

You disgust me.

 

Pretty darn narrow-minded and downright hateful way to feel about someone with a different opinion than you.

When will you guys notice that if there's no VK scene outside of Japan you won't have access to merch, gigs and bands will keep disbanding, getting shitty production and doing low quality stuff and all that stuff y'all whine about all the time ?

 

I seriously hope that this is about VK influenced bands outside of Japan only, and that you aren`t implying Yohio and co. help support actual Japanese bands in any way... Or maybe I am wrong and X Japan or Vamps would never play NYC without Yohio...

Pretty sure people will still want to see Visual bands they like even without forcing themselves to try and enjoy foreign imitations that don`t bring anything to the table.

Japan didn't invent glam and yet still you're all here thirsting on japanese trannys.

 

Visual Kei is far from simply Glam. Glam, Hair Metal and so forth are some of the ancestors of the music, for sure, but they in no way define it, and any attempt to accuse modern VK of being a Glam or Hair Metal rip-off would be buried under the countless iterations of Visual bands which have put their own perspective and ideas into the a mix of ideas that come from all over the world.

Also no idea why tranny is said so much around here, and any sexuality at all is not a factor for me personally in terms of my enjoyment of VK.
 

 

Weebs are always like this.

 

Pretty sure you have more scrobbles of VK than most people here combined. But you`re exempt from any kind of infatuation with Japanese culture / products?

You think Japan is the most advanced placed on Earth and everytime people try to actually spread their culture you say this xenophobic shit, like, only Japan can do animation, cosplaying or VK.

 

I don`t see `culture` being spread, I hold culture to a somewhat higher esteem than thinking a little boy who paid to have make-up put on and producers make his band sound like somewhat old Gazette is spreading `culture`. Japanese culture has been spread for a very long time, bringing the world a wealth of new ideas, perspectives, and technologies. This has nothing to do with that, in my opinion.

The reason why so many often fail (and fail hard) at creating many `Japanese things`, is they lack the cultural background, understanding of how things came about, and why, as well as the actual nuances of PERSPECTIVE that Japan can add.

No, you don`t have to be of pure Yamato blood and raised in Honshu to get it, but simply looking and or listening to something Japanese and then copying it (usually poorly) WITHOUT ADDING ANY OF YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE WHAT-SO-EVER usually ends up creating something that is not a cultural import, not a new take on foreign ideas, and not anything interesting to most `educated` people at all. It ends up being DERIVATIVE (junk).

These are all copies of western stuff. Japan didn't invent shit, so it shouldn't be limited to Japan only. Get over it.

 

All ideas come from somewhere, The Waltz to The Schmaltz, Ragtime, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Metal, Hair Metal, Visual Kei.

Yet somehow, as usual, the Japanese thing is especially a rip-off, and Japanese people are up to their thieving ways again, right?

Let`s just ignore the fact that same Blues riffs are used in countless songs, guys like Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore copied those riffs as well as other forms of music extensively, then that cycle repeated over and over again, until today where we can google current lawsuits or Youtube compilations of rip-offs from all around the world.

But VK is to be shamed specifically!

Something about Japan has always led foreigners to proclaim some sort of ill conceived notion that they are some special unique counterfeiters who make nothing of their own... Until the reality that Japan is one of the biggest cultural exporters and innovators of all time sets in (if it ever does, as in, if people ever actually learn more about the book than just its cover).
 

 

Stop whinning and support the fuck out of western bands.

 

So you`re saying:

Hey, not much people support the Japanese bands in the first place, but let`s change any focus we had onto supporting these Western bands for some reason... Surely it is more important to support them than, you know, actually creative bands, or actual current or past ambassadors for Visual Kei and Japanese Rock, like Dir en grey, Larc, VAMPS, Girugamesh, X Japan, etc...

????

1:Ok, but there are in fact good non-japanese bands. 2:And most of the shit you listen to is ripped off of western bands. Support non-jap VK or the scene will die,

 

 

1:Okay, so why don`t we talk about those in other threads, and support them if we actually like them, for example, bands like Lilith, as opposed to you telling us we should care about this Yohio band that many seem to dislike and only follow out of morbid curiosity?

2: Disagree, and disagree.

Overall I would have expected a much different, richer opinion from someone who listens to so much Visual Kei music.

In regards to things expressed not solely inside of the post I quoted:

At this point, it seems like some terms are just becoming irrelevant due to over-use, like: Rip-off, or trying to insult a VK band by calling them Indie...

Also just lol at `better than indie-fag` bands, not even sure why the select use of derogatory terms is allowed, but whatever, moving on:

Since when are the Indie VK bands seen as lower quality or, more importantly, the term Major seen as any indication of quality?

I can name tons of Indie bands that play circles around the Major bands, and if popularity is your rating point, I`m guessing you think Pop Idols are the cream of the crop. Hey, in reality that`s what this Disreign thing kind of is, I see it as less Rock and more Pop considering someone did their looks for them based on a pre-existing style, someone made the video based on pre-existing videos, someone made the album art for them based on pre-existing album art, someone produced the track to sound just like at least one pre-existing track... Where is the creative input and process from the band here?

Also to the question of why would we listen to Japanese singing in English: Because again, they put their own perspective on it, and we get a fresh product (not all the time, but you know). No matter what people say VK and other forms of Japanese music are very unique and can`t be substituted. Contrast an Indie band playing a common style with some English lyrics to a recent Miyavi song co-written by other people. You see the difference perspective makes in creating a somewhat unique product compared to what many are finding disappointment with in Miyavi`s latest.

Anyway, just my thoughts, it goes off topic, it goes back on topic, then it goes somewhere else, but whatever, think what you will, peace.

EDIT: If you like this band or whatever else, cool. I personally don`t but am not judging anyone, just disagreeing with the blanket statements, prejudices, and weird spin that seems to be put on some things. No I don`t think this band is original or important for VK at all, but that`s just me and those things don`t even need to matter to everyone anyway.

I don't see how it makes sense to accuse someone who was recently under care for a serious disorder which ruins lives slacking for not rushing out a single for five people to buy and everyone else to download. I don't believe musicians are slaves giving their health away for the amusement of a moderate fanbase.

Despite that they have a healthy live schedule, still entertaining their fans, and what has been released is certainly understandable as it takes much less work then putting together and releasing something up to par with their two last singles.

They also do not have a solidified record label anymore. DC still lists them in some cases, although they have not been officially working with them and there is no info that I have seen on what label / manager they will be working with on their next official release. People might criticize DC, but it is a lose-lose for them, as they either have to seperate from a group they put a lot into, or continue supporting D.I.D. and taking the burden and blame for any health issues he may again come across, as thy would take responsibility for making and or allowing him to continue the busy stressful life of a musician.

Also, besides production and release issues (they can't produce or distribute the same quality as their previous releases by themselves), thy either still have Pablo from PTP on board, and want this to be a big release to not only make their comeback but use his popularity to push off of, or they don't have him on board and need to re-do the composition and figure out how to create a worthwhile sound without the same band set-up and minus a major contributor to their song writing.

Just my two cents.