If you'd never heard Japanese music, what would you be listening to?

[PsychoΔelica 648]

I'd still be listening to Japanese music in some form because hardly anyone hasn't heard Japanese traditional music. lol  But I could do just as well without it if I didn't know it exists and probably be listening to the rest of what I'm listening.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[robkun 4184]

I probably would've indulged myself deeper into the avant-garde underground and also become more fascinated/obsessed with 90s alternative/shoegaze. Although with avant-garde stuff, I probably would've discovered Japanese stuff sooner or later through the craziness of Boredoms and Melt-Banana, so Idunno lol.

[lichtlune 915]

Seems pretty impossible for me to not have found Japanese music one way or another since I also enjoy anime, visual novels, and Jrpg's. But if for some reason I did I'd probably be listening to rap and r&b. Most western metal and rock music just doesn't vibe with me in the same way.

[Komorebi 2193]

I would have probably switched from stuff like Paramore and Linkin Park to stuff like Blind Guardian and Avantasia instead of VK lol

[Nagisa 131]

I don't think I'd be listening to anything. The first CD I ever got was filled with Japanese Pokemon songs, and I haven't listened to anything non-Japanese of my own accord. I couldn't stand hearing the music on the radio even when I was 8. Even the video game soundtracks that I sometimes listen to when I need a break from visual kei are composed by Japanese people.

[doombox 4421]

Japanese music was my gateway the entire Asian music scene, so without it likely no Korean or Chinese music for me either... At one point prior I was digging into a Spanish language rock and Japanese competed with that (and totally won out) so I might have spent more time in that area without the competition. Otherwise, definitely more American/British/Australian groups would be on my radar. 

[Chi 2624]

in a parallel universe where i never found anime at 6yo therefore never heard japanese music i think i'd... be listening to the same western bands i listen today, since i've always liked pop, rock (esp alt rock) because of my sister's influence lol although it wasnt until i dove into japanese rock when i was 12 that i developed my personal music taste. before that i just listened to anime OPs and whatever my sis introduced me to.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Chi

[shiroihana 182]

I'm surprised how many people here are a bit like me musically!!

I would've been into post-hardcore, metalcore, some alternative and oldschool rock, definitely some pop, and some different types of metal for sure.  I was really into post-hardcore and metalcore before I found visual kei, and I still love those genres. Visual kei sorta filled the void for me, because musically I like the weird crazy melodic shit that suddenly turns into pure chaos that most people think sucks.

Edited August 19, 2017 by shiroihana

[Himeaimichu 1535]

I'd probably wouldn't even be listening to most Rock since Vkei really got me into Rock Music in general. I'd probably be a total normie and listen to just Pop and Hip Hop. And while I grew up on Funk and Soul, I never really got back into it until I noticed some Vkei bands that made Funk influenced songs.

[jiji94 78]

It's hard for me to imagine because I got into Japanese music at such a young age/first was allowed to use the internet. lol As a kid, I was mostly obsessed with classical music because I was a mini hipster.

 

Probably a mix of 80s/90s music, although I don't know if I would've gotten into some of the bands and musicians I like (The Cure specifically) had it not been for J-rock bands. Maybe Mandopop and Cantopop. Had I known how much I'd get addicted to the latter..

 

I think jazz music too.

[mahoujin 395]

I was already into goth music and a couple different kinds of metal, so I probably would have gotten deeper into those, since I still like that kind of music too. 

[Tokage 5930]

i was into that alice cooper shit before i got into japanese music, so probably i'd still end up within the realms of rock, stanning the same new wave / post-punk acts etc.

[zaa_zaa 208]

As many people have said it here, j-rock became a huge part of my identity, too. Because of that, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am now and who I am.
I would say I'm really emotionally invested into it, I can spend hours downloading music, making sure that I have an absolutely perfect collection of music on my iPod. People also know that I listen to j-rock, and it shapes their perception of me (sometimes in a negative way, but who gives a shit?).

 

What I would listen to....
Most likely I would continue listening to weird bands such as 'iwrestledabearonce', I would still listen to black metal, grindcore, deathcore and such genres.... I would be really deep into post-hardcore as well.

[saltofstones 136]

Probably still a lot of the stuff I'm into now outside the j-music spectrum. Definitely more electro-industrial, EBM, synthpop, synthrock than I currently do (time constraints and all), since I got into those scenes and VK roughly at the same time. And most likely I would have explored more Western rock bands.

J-bands were my gateway into general shoegaze and post-punk, but I like to think  I would have found my way to those regardless. I can't say the same about Korean/Chinese rock and electronica, where the interest was clearly a byproduct of my developing appreciation for the J-music scene.

 

One thing is for sure, VK and J-indie have completely redesigned my rather rigid old perspective on what types of vocals I considered palatable. Now I understand the appeal of nasally, whiny, strained, husky, cracking-all-over-the-place and even slightly  out-of-tune singing and I can enjoy a lot more music than before. But I reckon the real influence of j-music on my tastes is even greater than this exercise in imagination could ever suggest.

[sakurakurakura 154]

I'd obviously still live in a post-punk/shoegaze/synthpop/coldwave world.

[evenor 1655]

post-punk/salsa/merengue/bachata/reggeaton/rap/female divas

[Ikki 807]

For me, I think I would have been exposed to Japanese music sooner or later as I did grow up with my dad playing Japanese metal/rock groups like Loudness, EZO, and Earthshaker due to all of the '80s metal bootlegs he used to trade around back in the day. 

 

However, for my general taste in music, I probably would be listening to bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco as that's what I was super into when I was in high school/college as well as the glam rock/metal groups my dad used to play when I was growing up. 

[itsukoii 1300]

when i got into vk i was still in my emo phase, so i imagine if i hadn't gotten into vk i'd be still into that stuff or western metal/deathcore/metalcore bands, but probably not much else because i'm not one to really branch out beyond the metal/rock genres

[Biopanda 2675]

Nothing but humppa

[jaymee 405]

I don't know about musically... I've always liked a lot of different kinds of music from around the world, so I probably would have kept up with more music in French, Spanish, or Russian instead. I want to say I would have eventually found the indie music scene faster,  but then again, being a part of the indie VK scene helped me know where to look for less mainstream music, too.

 

I think without VK I wouldn't have been as motivated to learn Japanese, and in turn, maybe that would have meant I wouldn't have been living in Japan or have gotten married to someone here. I also wouldn't have made a lot of lifelong friends I have. So I guess not discovering VK would have changed my life itself more than it would have changed what I enjoy musically.

Edited August 29, 2017 by jaymee

[Laurence02 185]

I probably still would have listened to a lot of international stuff... but I would, most definitely, listen to more European metal. 

[jirojiro 5]

If I didn't find Japanese music, I would lose part of the music I listen to.  I listen to nearly everything and I probably would have delved deeper into metal and post hardcore music.  I think my VK love kept me from going in super deep into metal bands, but I still would have my pop, punk, metal, rap, and harcore stuff.  I might have went deep into Korean music too...  It just depends on when I find that one song that sells me on a genre.  

 

[NightFall 177]

I don't think I'd be actively listening to music at all if I never got into J-Rock. I used to listen to death metal and -core genres a lot so that influences what I like now, but I never really got into the metal scene like I have with VK so I'd probably just be listening to whatever was on the radio. I was admittedly pretty narrow-minded about music when I was younger, so I'd probably also be complaining about all the pop songs but now I don't really mind them because I know what it's like to have people be dismissive of music you like xD

[The Moon 989]

I'd probably be way more into mainstream pop girls, 80s-influenced dream-pop, and shoegaze. (basically my non-vk favs) 

[Seimeisen 4406]

Metal and only metal. I think liking VK is how I've been able to slightly broaden my horizons (and by that, I simply mean, acquire the sensibilities to appreciate indie rock/shoegaze/ambient music).