DIV new maxi single "Point of view" release

[Trombe 22025]

it is announced at DIV one-man live at EX THEATER ROPPONGI at 2014/05/10 that their new maxi single "Point of view" will be released at 2014/08/27 (2 TYPE)

 

limited edition (1,620yen) will include CD+DVD (including "Point of view" PV & PV making), and regular edition (1,296yen) will include CD only

 

[CD track list]
01.Point of view
02.DEATH GAME
03.線路(senro) (included in regular edition)

 

 

btw they will hold their one-man live tour "CHANGE MY POV" since Meguro Rock May Kan at 2014/09/07 and up to tour final "POINT OF VIEW" at AiiA Theater Tokyo at 2014/11/03

 

 

SET-LIST at 2014/05/10:

 

01.ANSWER
02.赤裸々ララ(sekirararara)
03.ASTERIOS
04.毒彩ギーク(dokusai geek)
05.BUTTERFLY DREAMER
06.Cinderella
07.Cocktail Color
08.ゴールデンキネマ劇場(golden kinema gekijou)
09.hungry soul
10.SEASONS
11.東京ネクロポリス博物館(tokyo necropolis hakubutsukan)
12.PieceS
13.太陽の詩(taiyou no uta)
14.夏の行方(natsu no yukue)
15.JUSTICE
16.漂流彼女(hyouryuu kanojo)
17.rainy,rainy,smiles.

 

EN1
01.you
02.ZERO ONE
03.Point of view

[Owl 347]

They are very productive indeed.

[ShanethVarosa 1209]

Awesome!! I'm always so glad I never have to wait long for them to have new stuff out.

[Xerath 275]

I saw their new look today and I am much more than pleased xD and I hope for a preview to come soon (///▽///)

[Rize 1593]

Wow, they really keep on going.

Their recent one was pretty good, well let's see how they'll create this new one.

[Tetora 625]

Two-Year Anniversary, very strong venue. They have what, 50 songs already, enough to put together 4 albums with. Impressive band and management. Not to keep going on and on about them, but man, I am inspired.

Capacity is 2000 for this venue btw. Not sure if their setup changed that, but that is the base.

[fitear1590 2414]

They have what, 50 songs already, enough to put together 4 albums with. 

Not being nitpicky, but I was just curious myself after you mentioned this.  According to my count, they have 38 individual tracks released so far (not counting ANSWER, 夏の行方, and SEASONS from the "ZERO ONE" album since they were already on singles and not counting the 2 remixes on the ゴールデンキネマ劇場 single).  Still very impressive!  I didn't realize they had that many songs yet!

[Miasma 162]

idk what a div is but whos the daddy in ur ava, fit

[Kuroha 65]

DIV new look

 

 

much better than previous style

 

i love CHISA's haircut

[ricchubunny 2013]

they should take a rest cuz for me their releases are getting worst and worst... :/

[Ichibayo 541]

they should take a rest cuz for me their releases are getting worst and worst... :/

 

This...

[karin-adele 70]

^^^that.

[jon_jonz 885]

Bands don't usually get worst because they're tired. They get worst when they become more popular. They'll just keeping getting worst because they don't have the experience/maturity to deal with popularity. They came from bands no one cared about and now they're signed to a big label that keeps promoting them over and over again until they get a huge fanbase, so they'll make anime songs, play on big venues and this kind of shit. I think that's the problem with mainstream VK. They invest on nobodies that are actually talented and then force them to keep reaching goals until they become extremely popular and if they do, the probability of them making good stuff is minimal, because I don't think they get anyone to help them and they're just being forced to keep producing over and over again, which is why they relase a bunch of stuff in a short period of time, which means that the quality of their music will drop, because japanese media unfortunately gives more attention to quantity over quality.

 

MAVERICK D.C. GROUP will keep forcing them to make whatever is popular at the moment of the production of a new relrase and that's what they'll do. That's what all bands from this company do, actually. Kameleo is doing funny stuff because GOLDEN BOMBER is a big hit in Japan, Girugamesh is back at doing heavy music again because metalcore is becoming mainstream, D.I.D. is for the kids who like tr00 music and DIV seems to be the pop band. It's just a matter of time before DIV becomes a shitty boy-band, with cute boys that make mediocre music that actually grants a lot of money to their label because that's what teenagers in general like. I like them and I really hope they don't ruin their carreer, but that's what they'll eventually do. CHISA himself kind of said on J-MELO they don't plan to be a VK band for a long time, so I guess the transformation has already begun.

[Tetora 625]

Bands don't usually get worst because they're tired. They get worst when they become more popular. They'll just keeping getting worst because they don't have the experience/maturity to deal with popularity. They came from bands no one cared about and now they're signed to a big label that keeps promoting them over and over again until they get a huge fanbase, so they'll make anime songs, play on big venues and this kind of shit. I think that's the problem with mainstream VK. They invest on nobodies that are actually talented and then force them to keep reaching goals until they become extremely popular and if they do, the probability of them making good stuff is minimal, because I don't think they get anyone to help them and they're just being forced to keep producing over and over again, which is why they relase a bunch of stuff in a short period of time, which means that the quality of their music will drop, because japanese media unfortunately gives more attention to quantity over quality.

 

MAVERICK D.C. GROUP will keep forcing them to make whatever is popular at the moment of the production of a new relrase and that's what they'll do. That's what all bands from this company do, actually. Kameleo is doing funny stuff because GOLDEN BOMBER is a big hit in Japan, Girugamesh is back at doing heavy music again because metalcore is becoming mainstream, D.I.D. is for the kids who like tr00 music and DIV seems to be the pop band. It's just a matter of time before DIV becomes a shitty boy-band, with cute boys that make mediocre music that actually grants a lot of money to their label because that's what teenagers in general like. I like them and I really hope they don't ruin their carreer, but that's what they'll eventually do. CHISA himself kind of said on J-MELO they don't plan to be a VK band for a long time, so I guess the transformation has already begun.

 

 

I honestly don`t agree with you at all.

 

First off, me and many other people have enjoyed their recent releases. I thought Zero-One was one of the best albums in a long time and have met many people who have felt the same. I have seen many people that love Butterfly Dreamer and You, as well as their latest. A few people disliking it doesn`t make it universally accepted as bad.

 

I can look at pretty much any recent band and see the same comments from people: `Their older stuff was better`, `they aren`t as good as they  used to be`. People and animals dont like change, it`s in their nature. Put a cat in a new environment and he hides under something in fear until he gets used to the surroundings. You fall in love with one sound, then think you want more of that, and the band comes out with something new and you instantly feel betrayed because it is slightly or majorly different in its sound, and you avoid it and think you either think you dislike it or actually do dislike it.

 

The issue now is that there are hundreds of different releases you could be listening to instead, so people wont take as much time listening to something and figuring it out, they will just move on.

 

And how would they keep getting worse because they dont have the experience and maturity to deal with popularity?

Wouldn`t they be gaining this experience and maturity as they move on, isn`t that how it works? How do you gain the experience before you are popular?

 

Also, Danger Crue is far from the label you seem to be describing (PSC). I have never seen Danger Crue force something on a band, or develop bad relations with any of their bands.

They grew or collaborated with some of the biggest acts in VK, including MuCC, Larc, some of L`arc members solo stuff, etc... And maintain great relations with these bands.

 

DC also grew SID, the strongest VK band there has been in a very long time, and the only VK band that can consistently compete with pop acts in the charts. SID and other acts never really strayed from VK (they just did the whole Mousou Nikki collab and gave so much to VK bands), and have always done whatever they wanted to do music-wise. SID never followed trends, they make all sorts of music with different influences and sounds.

 

And what is DC`s history with anime songs? Some of their bands do, some don`t. DIV and UNiTE could have done many by now, Giru could do many more than they do, but they dont.

 

As for being forced to keep pumping out material, I dont think there is any proof, and all DIV releases have seemingly been set when songs were already done. When they announced POV, the songs were already made. UNiTE certainly hasnt been forced to put out material, Girugamesh took as long of a hiatus as they wanted, D.I.D. really takes their time, Alsdead were given what seemed like all the time in the world for their releases. I dont think it can be accepted that they just make a lot of music.

 

As for quality itself, again, not seeing what dropped out in terms of composition, lyrics, production, even album art etc... They all seem to be at the same standard?

 

As for saying the label just pumps out whatever is popular... I don`t see this as holding any weight either. I can take any band from any label and say something like: `Oh VAMPS are only on the label because vampires became popular after Twilight` or `Oh, Takeru is dressing more hip-hop in this PV because K-Pop is popular`.

 

In the end these claims are complete rhetoric that can not be proven either way, and it makes no sense that the biggest `Indie`label, that has always grown their acts, and has a long list of acts that did not change to fit styles, is trying to fit in with the trends of less successful labels in an industry that doesn`t make much money anyway.

 

Btw what is UNiTE trying to be? They are the labels second most popular Ft act atm, and I dont see them copying any trends or sounding like anyone else. And Girugamesh has always been very popular, they were, and still are one of the top ten most requested Japanese bands outside of Japan, and could go to any other label or a full blown major label if they wanted, why dont they? As for D.I.D., Alsdead etc... They aren`t very popular when it comes down to it, they could take other bands that would appeal more to fangirls and exploit them but they dont, instead they are growing good bands and have a label based around great bands instead of just good-looking bishounen. The only reason Kameleo really makes money is all the stuff they sell at lives like the lights, etc... Which were the vocalists idea.

 

What they have now is a great and diverse line-up of bands that can mesh without overlapping, and none of the bands so far are moving away from VK, I`m not seeing the issue or how they can be described as such a label, they seem to be the best.

 

Let`s wait until the second album to see if they really `dropped in quality`, as before the first they came out with Golden Kinema and Taste of Life, two very different tracks with a mix of different B-Sides that some people said the same things about.

 

Thanks for reading.

[Guest mitsu the indie girl]

After hearing their last single, I've become quite interested in this band...

[Shaolan974 6185]

DC also grew SID, the strongest VK band there has been in a very long time, and the only VK band that can consistently compete with pop acts in the charts. 

 

 

 SID is not VK.

[Tetora 625]

SID is not VK.

They come from a VK label, where they were seen as a VK band, played and continue to play shows and do appearances with VK bands, were touted as the unstoppable VK band when they started cracking the Oricon top 10, still have the same core style and occasionally over the top outfits as they did before they went major, and decided to base their Mousou Nikki collaboration around VK bands.

But if you believe they arent a VK band, more power to you.

[hiroki 5521]

 SID is not VK.

 

 

It's seriously tiring (and meaningless) to debate whether x is vk or not-vk, so let's not go there.

 

 

Bands don't usually get worst because they're tired. They get worst when they become more popular.

 

Imo this is only partially correct.

 

We have to remember there are broadly speaking 2 routes to becoming popular. One is for the band to throw their hands up and pander to what the average consumer wants. Think of it as the political party with no particularly interesting/good ideas and just go along with what the public happens to want at that point in time, just so they can get the largest median share of votes. At the same time, there are bands who are genuinely good at what they are doing and over time they attract the attention of people whom they otherwise wouldn't have. Case in point is SID's first live right after their transition to Ki/oon: they sold out Budokan in under 2 minutes with the kind of music that they've been consistently doing for the 3-4 years since they formed, which suggests that they already had a good number of non-vk fans who liked them even before they went major.

 

For most vk bands that become popular and eventually go major (or at least sign with a "big vk label" like PSC), it's usually some combination of the two. The question is how far one leans to either end. Vk bands generally get very little exposure in the mainstream media so it's impossible to gain popularity if they insist on spending 100% of their time making music that no one else cares about. But that doesn't mean that popularity always means quality is sacrificed or that band members are invariably reduced to puppets manipulated by their label. Ultimately it all depends on how much of what the band is doing is up to the members and how much is up to the label. And unless we're actually in the band, it's difficult to know. Tempting as it may be, let's not be too bogged down by the stereotypical progression of "indies vk band who's not popular but good" -> "major ex-vk band who's popular but shitty" because neither category is even stable in and of itself.

 

 

To stay on topic: I'm always interested to see what DIV puts out. The last single for me was a bit of a hit-and-miss. The PV spot sounded great but the full song was slightly less atmospheric that I thought it would be. Clearly they were seeking to try something new (which is always a great attitude regardless of results), but the pseudo Aqua Timez "rap" at 3.30+ didn't fit into the overall ambience of the song. B sides were better than the title track which isn't surprising given it's the kind of sound in their comfort zone. Let's see what they will do in the new single

[jon_jonz 885]

hiroki is right, Shaolan974 is wrong and Tetora seems too naive for me.

 

I could comment every single paragraph you wrote and prove you how wrong you are, but I don't want to discuss. I just wanted to show my point of view and then you replied. But do you really believe once you join a label you're free to do whatever you like ? Do you really think Kameleo sells fucking lanterns because they want to or give a fuck about lanterns ? Do you really believe D.I.D. is "taking their time" ? You seem to believe once you join a major label everything is fine and you're fee to do w/e you like and they won't force you to release tons of stuff and be always in the media, mainly doing stuff you don't like, don't fit the concept of the band, etc. So let's use the examples you mentioned: First of all, let's remove Laruku from this. They're so popular that when they joined their current label they were already one of the most important bands in the history of Japan, so they can do w/e the fuck they want and people WILL buy w/e they do. It's an honor for the label to have them. They don't need a label, because they're so popular that if they have a label or not, if they release anything or not people will still be talking about them, and they'll always appear on mainstream media, etc. The same goes for VAMPS. The idea is if HYDE is on it, it'll see. He can dress as a vampire and sing lousy rick, dress as ghoul and invite his friends to plagiarize music from Tim Burton's movies doing halloween themed shit and even going solo and singing love/melancholic songs and it will sell, so, Laruku is the only exception. I believe they are free to do w/e they want. Their label only makes them go on tours and release stuff when it means a lot, like their 20th birthday, or they just keep re-releasing their older material.

 

SID seems to be getting there too. They kind of kept the same style they had when they were indies. The difference is that they do have a more pop touch to it nowadays and they don't make heavy songs anymore, but basically it is the same jazzy thing. UNiTE is just Canzel 2.0 and MUCC and Girugamesh are a mess. You never know what to expect from their next release, because they seem to be in a never-ending journey to find a new identity because they don't want to do what they did when they did when they were actually good and that's it. They'll keep flirting with new genres and styles and keep changing over and over again, without even keeping its roots, so yeah, people will buy their stuff because they have a name and because they hope they get back what they did back when the band was good, but it won't happen. I never knew one single person who got into MUCC and Girugamesh because of what they do today. They're just old fans that keep supporting these bands, so...

 

But, at least, all the bands mentioned above took their time to get where they are. They've built a huge fanbase of faithful fans that followed them because they've done so many good stuff for so many years, maybe they'll get back to doing good stuff again, right ? Wrong. But they don't want to accept it, or they actually like the new stuff too. And then you ask:

"And how would they keep getting worse because they don`t have the experience and maturity to deal with popularity?

Wouldn`t they be gaining this experience and maturity as they move on, isn`t that how it works? How do you gain the experience before you are popular?"

 

It's a slow thing, You don't suddenly become extremely popular and that's it. You have to go slowly or things will backfire because in one day you're playing in a filthy hellhole in the most shitty suburbs of Tokyo and in the other day, bang, Budokan ! Remember ViViD ? That's what happened to them. It's the exact same example as DIV. Members from bands that nobody cared about join in a band created by a huge label in order to become extremely popular. In the beginning it was soooooo good, but then they've started to appear too much on TV, do anime songs, play in huge venues, etc and see what happened. Nobody cares about them much anymore. I don't think ViViD sucks. It's actually cool, but it's not even half as good as it used to be when they were indies. And it looks like I'm not the only one. Remember how many people were freaking out whenever ViViD released something new back then ? Take this forum, for example. How many comments their topics had when they were in indies PSC and how many they have now ? It was way more back then. People don't care anymore. Of course there are those who will support the band no matter what, those who still hope they will sound good, etc, but mostly, people don't care anymore, because they've fucked it up and you know why ? Because they've become too popular too quickly. They've changed drastically because they don't know how to deal with all this popularity and that's exactly what is happening to DIV.

 

I don't give a fuck about lyrics and album art, dude. I just want their music to be good. Fuck the rest. I'm not saying they WILL suck because they're becoming too popular but history repeats itself and it happened so many times with so many different bands that the probability of it happening again is huge, but there are some exceptions. There are bands who actually become way better the more popular they become. Let's hope DIV is one of those...

[Shaolan974 6185]

SID isn't VK in Japan. This is a pop band and they are in the same category as AKB48 or something like that. I'm not wrong. But if you think SID is VK... this isnt the real question.

 

By the way, I agree with you jon_jonz.

[jon_jonz 885]

Thanks, Artemisia. But you seem to be confusing genre with status. Being VK or not is very a controversial term. I agree they make pop songs therefore they should be categorized as pop band, but AKB48 is an idol group. I don't think they are on the same boat. SID doesn't go around dancing and making choreographies to cheesy tunes. Only because they're pop they can't be VK ? Why not ? What is so great to me about VK is that it's the only musical genre where you can do whatever the fuck you want and still be VK. We have VK bands that make samba, bossa nova, jazz, etc. and they're still VK. Why wouldn't they be ? VK has no rules, in terms of how they should sound like, except for some minor rules nobody really follows. And regardless of your opinion, the bands themselves call what they do VK and so does the media, and pretty much everybody else. So, if you think artists like GACKT, for example are not VK only because they've become too popular, you're wrong. Being VK or not is a matter of aesthetics. GACKT has songs that sound a lot like AKB48, and he even goes around dancing and making choreographies to cheesy tunes, but they way he does it is different, so it looks and sounds different from any other idol group, because it IS VK.

[Tetora 625]

hiroki is right, Shaolan974 is wrong and Tetora seems too naive for me.

 

I could comment every single paragraph you wrote and prove you how wrong you are, but I don't want to discuss. I just wanted to show my point of view and then you replied. But do you really believe once you join a label you're free to do whatever you like ? Do you really think Kameleo sells fucking lanterns because they want to or give a fuck about lanterns ? Do you really believe D.I.D. is "taking their time" ? You seem to believe once you join a major label everything is fine and you're fee to do w/e you like and they won't force you to release tons of stuff and be always in the media, mainly doing stuff you don't like, don't fit the concept of the band, etc. So let's use the examples you mentioned: First of all, let's remove Laruku from this. They're so popular that when they joined their current label they were already one of the most important bands in the history of Japan, so they can do w/e the fuck they want and people WILL buy w/e they do. It's an honor for the label to have them. They don't need a label, because they're so popular that if they have a label or not, if they release anything or not people will still be talking about them, and they'll always appear on mainstream media, etc. The same goes for VAMPS. The idea is if HYDE is on it, it'll see. He can dress as a vampire and sing lousy rick, dress as ghoul and invite his friends to plagiarize music from Tim Burton's movies doing halloween themed shit and even going solo and singing love/melancholic songs and it will sell, so, Laruku is the only exception. I believe they are free to do w/e they want. Their label only makes them go on tours and release stuff when it means a lot, like their 20th birthday, or they just keep re-releasing their older material.

 

SID seems to be getting there too. They kind of kept the same style they had when they were indies. The difference is that they do have a more pop touch to it nowadays and they don't make heavy songs anymore, but basically it is the same jazzy thing. UNiTE is just Canzel 2.0 and MUCC and Girugamesh are a mess. You never know what to expect from their next release, because they seem to be in a never-ending journey to find a new identity because they don't want to do what they did when they did when they were actually good and that's it. They'll keep flirting with new genres and styles and keep changing over and over again, without even keeping its roots, so yeah, people will buy their stuff because they have a name and because they hope they get back what they did back when the band was good, but it won't happen. I never knew one single person who got into MUCC and Girugamesh because of what they do today. They're just old fans that keep supporting these bands, so...

 

But, at least, all the bands mentioned above took their time to get where they are. They've built a huge fanbase of faithful fans that followed them because they've done so many good stuff for so many years, maybe they'll get back to doing good stuff again, right ? Wrong. But they don't want to accept it, or they actually like the new stuff too. And then you ask:

"And how would they keep getting worse because they don`t have the experience and maturity to deal with popularity?

Wouldn`t they be gaining this experience and maturity as they move on, isn`t that how it works? How do you gain the experience before you are popular?"

 

It's a slow thing, You don't suddenly become extremely popular and that's it. You have to go slowly or things will backfire because in one day you're playing in a filthy hellhole in the most shitty suburbs of Tokyo and in the the other day, bang, Budokan ! Remember ViViD ? That's what happened to them. It's the exact same example as DIV. Members from bands that nobody cared about join in a band created by a huge label in order to become extremely popular. In the beginning it was soooooo good, but then they've started to appear too much on TV, do anime songs, play in huge venues, etc and see what happened. Nobody cares about them much anymore. I don't think ViViD sucks. It's actually cool, but it's not even half as good as it used to be when they were indies. And it looks like I'm not the only one. Remember how many people were freaking out whenever ViViD released something new back then ? Take this forum, for example. How many comments their topics had when they were in indies PSC and how many they have now ? It was way more back then. People don't care anymore. Of course there are those who will support the band no matter what, those who still hope they will sound good, etc, but mostly, people don't care anymore, because they've fucked it up and you know why ? Because they've become too popular too quickly. They've changed drastically because they don't know how to deal with all this popularity and that's exactly what is happening to DIV.

 

I don't give a fuck about lyrics and album art, dude. I just want their music to be good. Fuck the rest. I'm not saying they WILL suck because they're becoming too popular but history repeats itself and it happened so many times with so many different bands that the probability of it happening again is huge, but there are some exceptions. There are bands who actually become way better the more popular they become. Let's hope DIV is one of those...

So I am too naive to understand?

I see it more as you passing off completely unproven rhetoric as fact rather than just your opinion. I see no evidence for any of what you said. And no, I dont think you can quote everything I said and prove how wrong I am because I am just giving my opinion and you dont have any actual evidence that will pass as factual here.

The arguments you provided are based off your opinion, which I gave my opinion on, and you retorted with things I honestly dont buy, and come off as some 'major label conspiracy theory'.

Bottom line how I see it, the label has many great acts that I love, and have grown them while not visibly changing them or making them less 'VK', and I have personally never seen them do so. Maybe you were there behind closed doors when these things happened, but in the event that you werent, I see no reason to believe that they are ruining their artists, it would only be an unsubstantiated theory.

As for ViViD, yes they are on a label that has been known for changing artists, Kra said it, SuG said it etc... so it is a possibility, though I still like their music, just like I still like MuCC who is more popular than ever, and I still like a whole bunch of other bands that didnt make the same exact songs over and over again.

Shaolan, as for SID, I dont mind if you call them whatever you like, I was just explaining why I feel confident referring to them as VK, and I think I made a pretty good argument, along with the fact that I can go buy a new VK magazine and they will have a photoshoot or interview in it.

[jon_jonz 885]

I think you fail to realize I wasn't criticizing your opinion. I was just justifying what I said since you decided to criticize me. I don't have to prove you anything. It's kinda obvious. But if you think it's ok for musicians to sell lanterns and they're destroying their career because they just feel like doing it, ok. Believe whatever you want.

[Owl 347]

I think you fail to realize I wasn't criticizing your opinion. I was just justifying what I said since you decided to criticize me. I don't have to prove you anything. It's kinda obvious. But if you think it's ok for musicians to sell lanterns and they're destroying their career because they just feel like doing it, ok. Believe whatever you want.

What's this Lantern story?

slowpoke.jpg

[jon_jonz 885]

 

 

The only reason Kameleo really makes money is all the stuff they sell at lives like the lights, etc... Which were the vocalists idea.

 

He basically said Kameleo makes money only because of the merch and no one cares about their music. It's like people need lamps and they attend to an expensive VK concert packed with crazy bangyas just because they sell great lights, you know ? So why not pay for tickets and listen to their shitty music if you can get a super cool towel and a nice T-shirt ?