anakuro

I highly recommend XAA-XAA!! But I must admit I'm super biased. There are some songs that are rather Belmosaic-esque but for the most part it's a lot darker than Belmosaic ever was. It was such a pain getting a hold of physical copies of Belmosaic CDs too (I'm still missing リツコさん and ピリオド) So this is one of my collections of CDs I'm most proud of I saw Belmosaic 2 times and I've seen XAA-XAA 7 times? It's a really fun atmosphere and I love the band's attention to detail--live, in the artwork for their releases, etc. They're currently the most interesting band for me personally. Definitely hoping they aren't overworking themselves either! But I also love having so much music from them right from the start...!

Left to right, top to bottom: Haru (gt).; Roji (dr.); Reiya (ba.); Junko (in charge of whatever mannequins do); Kazuki (vo.) History (OHP 2014-2015 history) October~November 2014: Session activity under the name SAA-SAA Session (サアサアセッション) 2014.12.03: 1st Oneman/first official live as XAA-XAA 『感覚セカイ』(“Kankaku Seikai”) 2015.07.01: 2nd Oneman 【どしゃ降りの彼女】リリース記念ワンマンライヴ【どしゃ降りの心斎橋】 (Oneman to celebrate the release of Doshaburi no Kanojo "Doshaburi no Shinsaibashi") 2015.12.03: 3rd Oneman ザアザア１周年記念ワンマンライヴ「ソォルドアウト」(1st Anniversary Oneman "Sold Out") 2016.03~2016.04: ザアザア主催イベント ベストアルヴァム & シングル発売記念ツアー「みんなとしたいだけ」 (XAA-XAA best album & single release commemorative sponsored tour “minna to shitai dake”) 2016.04.23: 追加公演ワンマン！ ベストアルヴァム & シングル発売記念ツアー「みんなとしたいだけ」 (Additional oneman! Best album & single release commemorative tour “minna to shitai dake”) 2016.06.04: ミニアルヴァム「雨に殺される」発売記念ワンマンライヴ東京の雨に殺される (ame ni korosareru mini-album release commemorative oneman live “Tokyo no ame ni korosareru”) 2016.06.11: ミニアルヴァム「雨に殺される」発売記念ワンマンライヴ大阪の雨に殺される (ame ni korosareru mini-album release commemorative oneman live “Osaka no ame ni korosareru”) 2016.07-2016.08: ザアザア夏ツアー2016 「幽霊より怖い人間達」 (XAA-XAA natsu tour 2016 "yuurei yori kowai ningentachi") 2016.09: 「かずきとよしあつ」ツーマンツアー (kazuki to yoshiatsu 2man tour) 2016.12-2017.01: 「血祭」 ワンマンツアー (chimatsuri oneman tour) -- this is also their two year anniversary tour Releases 2014.12.01 - 「うそつき」 ("Usotsuki") 2014.12.03 - 名も無き空へ (na mo naki sora e) live house one day only free distribute 2015.03.01 - コワイクライ (kowai kurai) 2015.4.23 - ララララ (lalalala) live house one day only free distribute 2015.06.01 - どしゃ降りの彼女 (doshaburi no kanojo) 2015.07.01 - 感電、けがのおそれがあります。 LIVE DVD (LIVE DVD of the song kanden, kega no osore ga arimasu.) live house one day only free distribute 2015.08.20 - 鬱くしき雨音 (utsukushiki ame oto) - live house one day only split-single, limited to 200 copies (XAA-XAA's track is 今宵は鬱くしい) 2015.09.01 - 死にたい (shinitai) 2015.11.01 - 雪時計 (yuki tokei) 2015.12.03 - 「うそつき」 ("Usotsuki") - re-recorded, to be sold at the oneman live that day 2016.03.23 - したいだけでしょ？ (shitai dake desho?) 2016.03.23 - 中毒症状 (chuudoku shoujou) 2016.05.25 - 雨に殺される (ame ni korosareru) 2016.07.20 - 妖幻鏡 -west- Vol.3 Survive as an Innovator (yougenkyou -west- Vol.3 Survive as an Innovator) - omnibus (XAA-XAA's track is 情けない男のテーマ) 2016.09.07 - カミソリ (kamisori) 2016.10.05 - どす黒い (dosuguroi) 2016.11.02 - 余命 (yomei) OHP, YouTube (full PVs and trial listening)

agreed. but at this point I kind of wish serial number could just be laid to rest. There's like what 13 former members...?

That's true, I am mostly exposed to Osaka and Hiroshima bands at this point. Still, kansai rock summit isn't just kansai bands. And there are plenty of darker Tokyo bands that floated to the surface and get a lot more attention--METEOROID swithced to MeteoroiD, AvelCain is super popular, DADAROMA formed and is doing so well, etc. Every time I saw any kirakira band in Tokyo it was at hole in the walls like REX. side note: Lig was quite good! I'd like to see them again. To be fair kirakira≠osare/oshare kei. Osare kei is pretty much dead and the ~kei terminology is quite outdated, lol. But kirakira is quite commonly used as a term. I can't count how many times I've heard it used or if I've been asked "is ~ kirakira?" or told "I can't stand kirakira" because my friends all assume that all of my bands are kirakira for some reason. Kirakira and abare (暴れ/暴れ盤) are the two terms I hear the most often but that doesn't necessarily mean they are exclusive of each other. And as you mentioned, the terms more describe the live experience than anything now!

thanks There's no live experience quite like kirakira bands. But yeah the Japanese girls are even talking about the 解散ラッシュ or "rush to break up" recently and I don't normally hear the Japanese fans talking about it as much as foreign fans ? ...unfortunately with kirakira (for me, at least) there aren't really new kirakira ones coming in right now. It's all ~dark~~ bands that are being made.

You can give the kirakira bands to me. The two I follow are breaking up (Oneness and Cradle).

I wasn't sure if you'd bother getting it this time since kowai kurai wasn't your thing and I wouldn't blame you for not pouring money into them (even though they're super cheap) when it's just not your thing... I keep hoping they'll grow on you but their image isn't going to change any time soon, I think so I don't have high hopes. So, I didn't ask about grabbing you the CD, sorry man. They're actually one of the most popular kansai bands in their size range (you know, the do-minor sphere)! Lately a lot of bands can't even sell out a VARON-sized live house and they managed it for their second oneman It's weird seeing how big they've gotten so quickly, but I'm really happy for them too of course lol But that's exactly how I feel about Shounenki. It's really not my thing anymore but they are doing well and I wish them the best. There's just nothing left in them for me, personally. I wonder if you'd enjoy them more if you saw them live? It's not ~crazy~ live like we don't even have proper gyakudive (I guess I wouldn't really expect it from ex-Belmosaic gya anyway) so it doesn't quite reflect the dark image but it's really fun in my opinion. But then again I don't know what kind of a live experience you like, haha. And your boy Kazuki always ends up wandering around the crowd at some point. lol yeah I fell out of them right when they started getting an influx of fans it seems and I'm happy they're doing well but it's just not for me anymore. I think it's only me that's really not into the style change they've had that I'd say started around GAZELLEBABEL...? It's is a shame because that's only when I was able to start going to see them lolol But they play with bands I like so I still see them occasionally.

Lol, I have to say from IN THE SUNLIGHT and on I've been super not into Shounenki I can't stand how cheesy it is now. What is it? ザ・リーク? That sounds like the opening to some 80s sitcom man... I'd put them in the "what happened to them??" category except they're doing pretty well from what I can tell? So it seems to be just me. But I definitely jumped ship with them--sold everything except my CDs and one Eiki cheki. If I'm talking about the past three years then hell yeah it's been awesome in general. Fall 2014~2015 just hasn't been particularly impressive for me with anything new. But the live experience hasn't failed to disappoint me yet... Also, I've had a few bands go on hiatus/break up as well which is probably part of the reason why I'm a bit bored rn edit: btw Hiroki did you try Doshaburi? I mean besides 君の心臓を食べてしまいたい it's way less heavy than コワイクライ is and some songs are a lot more Belmosaic-esque...

A lot of bands are breaking up and we haven't had a proper influx of bands that are particularly interesting, in my opinion. It's generally a pretty boring year for me. Unfortunately Develop One's Faculties and The Benjamin failed to hold my interest. Bands I'm still in VK for: XAA-XAA is the main thing holding my interest right now. Their attention to detail is wonderful too. Glad to see they were mentioned before too. They are the only new band that's really kept me interested. Minus Jin-Say Orchestra is always phenomenal but the pitfall with them is their recording quality is pretty shit. I think most people that I know who got into them saw them first--it was the same with me. Their release this year has some great songs on it but... the recording quality ruins some of it. Ensoku is also great and consistent. But that's also the thing like you know exactly what to expect with Ensoku--and while it will be done well I don't think Ensoku would keep me interested if I didn't have the other two bands I listed above. Bands that I'm interested in Reirei was surprisingly fun live Hiz was also a lot better live than recorded Shellmy is also a lot better live than recorded BLESSCODE ..also, a lot better live than recorded GAGA also has me mildly interested ViV oh my god RayJi is the best bassist he blows my mind but you see a pattern? For me at least this is an era of bands that you need to see live rather than listen to recorded. Bands that have gone down in quality heavily imo GIGAMOUS -- what happened? ??? ???? Souiumono -- what happened???????? Everything is so generic and boring now and what's with the autotune. They've lost a lot of fans (including their jouren--the girls who went to EVERYTHING and were basically the ones paying their salary due to how much money they poured into the band). I've been waiting for a break up announcement since Christmas. RUVISH -- from last year there was a marked drop in quality and live is so forced now too A lot of Osaka (and Shikoku and Hiroshima) bands are bands you just need to see live, rather than listen to recorded, to be honest. XAA-XAA is one of the few that I enjoy listening to recorded as much as seeing live.. On the other hand Tokyo bands, in general, are really stale for me. Also kirakira bands (what you guys would label as "oshare kei" but that's another topic) are dying out. Personally, I need like at least one kirakira band in my life because the live experience is almost always just so fun (unless it's Sick2). Anyway, 2015 has been a lot of fun for me in seeing bands live, but as far as releases/new bands goes it's pretty meh (besides XAA-XAA).

oh good I'm glad they're recording USJ Looking forward to this release--particularly interested in the song they're collabing on~

Selfie with XAA-XAA's Roji at their oneman on Wednesday. We did better this time at the taking a picture together thing. I should note that I pulled atari cheki so this was my ~prize~

ahh, wish i had my copy of baroque's Clip Collection here. I wonder if it's on my external HD... okay so I want to preface this with 7 of these were straight up given to me and 2 were half price 1 i traded old cheki for Ok and then yes the rest were bought. my favorite of the bunch: I need to ask roji when the 67th month is and possibly buy him a calendar.

Ahhh I'm so excited for the new minialbum. The two new songs they did were fun!! I hope I can go to the twoman(*-* ) and oneman(*-* ) And for the threeman tour they also announced yesterday--I wonder what the other two bands will be...

Idk I haven't been happy with them for nearly a year. I heard the new song (bomb x bomb x bomb or whatever) is in the same vein as un-deadhouse which I hated. I guess I'll go to an in store for old times sake (also because they will be blue in the one I'm considering going to and while I prefer old blue times... lol I gotta see this) but I don't have high hopes for the CD.

The CD made by GIGAMOUS and Oneness for the twoman they had. The theme song for Syuma and Rai is hilarious and adorable I love it. The sticker was free and we got it by going. Can you tell I'm a Rai and Syuma fan...?

I had hoped Minus would do Antennaman and they are so I'm pretty stoked for that

No problem! They have a pretty clear pattern for release: Dec. 1st, March 1st, June 1st... So I'm guessing it'll be a release on September 1st.

btw those who attend the oneman live 「どしゃ降りの心斎橋」 @ 心斎橋VARON on July 1st will receive a LIVE DVD of the song 感電、けがのおそれがあります。 (kanden, kega no osore ga arimasu) as a present. Also, they're making a demo tonight according to Kazuki's twitter sooo I personally expect them to announce a new release at the oneman.

I went to 3/4 of XAA-XAA's in stores on Sunday ...And I've come to the conclusion me and Roji are incapable of taking good pictures together

XAA-XAA cheki from the in stores on Sunday and it's mostly Roji because I am 500% trash

I've lived here for about three years

Souiumono has a countdown for an announcement on their homepage. So, July 1st at midnight there will be an announcement.

For a second there I thought the only new releases this year I got were XAA-XAA's... but after thinking about it a bit, I remembered others. ★★★★★ ザアザア - ララララ (can I put it above 5 stars? lmao) ザアザア - コワイクライ ★★★★☆ ザアザア - どしゃ降りの彼女 (agreed that it would be 5 stars but 夕焼け is meh) えんそく - えんそくの大予言 GAGA - 恍惚の花－コウコツノハナ－(1st & 2nd press) ヒステリックパニック - うそつき ★★★☆☆ マイナス人生オーケストラ - 心中 (the recording quality on some of the songs knocks it down a lot) クレイドル - デタラメ。ベスト (ok bear with me: for the genre and style they are it's pretty good. In general though? Ehh, I'd knock it down .5~1 stars.) ワンネス - 嘘つきの作法 ★★☆☆☆ ワンネス - GO!! DADAROMA - dadaism#1 ★☆☆☆☆ サウイフモノ - UN-DEAD HOUSE ????? BLESSCODE - Mindcore and BLESSCODE - Bizarre because I haven't given those two a really thorough listen. But I enjoyed them. I think that might be it for what I've gotten? I'm going to grab Yeti's new mini-album soon. Shounenki's CD is in the mail but I already anticipate putting Shounenki rather low based on the previews...(._.; )

roji (f.k.a. logic), currently in XAA-XAA, is the best drummer I personally have seen. Admittedly it was more impressive watching him when he was in Belmosaic and when he was doing support for RevleZ, but he's amazing. I never got the chance to see GNz-WORLD so I'm not sure what his style was like in that band, though. Sel'm's MANJ is also on my list. Personally, I like to watch Syuma from Oneness and Rai from GIGAMOUS drum as well but I wouldn't claim they are the best drummer. lol. I just like their style of drumming.