My Japanese Rock conundrum

[finnthesubhuman 26]

I didn't know where else to post this, really.

 

Let's rewind to yesterday. I'm playing around with this really awesome app called Spotify, which I mostly use to find new music. I decide to check for some older bands for some reason (maybe because I can't find my ipod with all the music I listened to prior to this year).

 

i find out Girugamesh hasn't done anything new. I check the internet and...disbanded.

 

Sadie, hiatus.

12012, hiatus.

Deathgaze, hiatus.

unsraw, disbanded.

cocklobin, disbanded.

nega, disbanded.

e'm grief, disbanded.

d'espairsray, disbanded.

lycaon, disbanded.

dali, disbanded.

GazettE, best left unmentioned.

 

Everything I used to listen to in 2007, 2008 and 2009 is not only making music I'm on the fence about, they're more or less gone forever. I'm left with Dir en grey and Max the Hormone, with Black Swan the only newcomer to follow.

 

What happened to J-rock? Where did it all go? Someone help, I feel lost. Who are the successors? if all of the bands I used to know have gone do I even like j-rock anymore? Am I alone in this feeling?

 

i guess this is part request thread, part mourning for the end of an era.

Edited July 9, 2016 by finnthesubhuman

[Atreides 454]

I view visual kei as a transient thing.  They aren't meant to last forever and the one's that do, who you like, consider yourself very lucky.  For me, most of the bands I used to love are disbanded as well, but it doesn't really bother me. I find more old bands and new bands all the time. Just keep searching.

[Zeus 7997]

37 minutes ago, finnthesubhuman said:

I didn't know where else to post this, really.

 

Let's rewind to yesterday. I'm playing around with this really awesome app called Spotify, which I mostly use to find new music. I decide to check for some older bands for some reason (maybe because I can't find my ipod with all the music I listened to prior to this year).

 

i find out Girugamesh hasn't done anything new. I check the internet and...disbanded.

 

Sadie, hiatus.

12012, hiatus.

Deathgaze, hiatus.

unsraw, disbanded.

cocklobin, disbanded.

nega, disbanded.

e'm grief, disbanded.

d'espairsray, disbanded.

lycaon, disbanded.

dali, disbanded.

GazettE, best left unmentioned.

 

Everything I used to listen to in 2007, 2008 and 2009 is not only making music I'm on the fence about, they're more or less gone forever. I'm left with Dir en grey and Max the Hormone, with Black Swan the only newcomer to follow.

 

What happened to J-rock? Where did it all go? Someone help, I feel lost. Who are the successors? if all of the bands I used to know have gone do I even like j-rock anymore? Am I alone in this feeling?

 

i guess this is part request thread, part mourning for the end of an era.

 

I'm in the same boat as you so you aren't alone. I don't even have musical releases to look forward to outside of new DIR EN GREY. The only direct and obvious continuation worth following was NEGA -> THE BLACK SWAN and OUSIA is literally my visual kei album of the year by default. All the other veterans either disappeared or ended up in really underwhelming bands, so it's up to the new bands to fill the void.

 

The first thing I would do is recommend you check out ORZ Reviews if you haven't already. We make an effort to try to review visual and non visual releases equally, although as a whole we are finding 2016 an underwhelming year for music. Maybe you will find something new you like

The second thing I would do is to check out the various mixtape and trade-off threads and maybe participate in the next one if the theme interests you. One of them was a "Journey through the decade" style exchange and many people chose the last decade, so look for that one in particular maybe. I find that this year the trade-offs have been invaluable in exposing myself to new music and new artists, especially after I left last.fm. If you can stand the interface and don't have an account, maybe try that out too?

[doombox 4421]

Following vk is a bumpy road. I also feel like I left my heart in 2007 and it just hasn't been the same since. ;; BUT there are a few projects that rose out of the ashes from your list that may be worth your time. 

 

Sadie -> THE THIRTEEN

Mao and Mizuki's new project. It gets some heat for not being very original but it seems like they're trying to carry the torch at least.

 

12012 -> More

Enya joined up with Loki (ex.Sugar) and it's pretty legit imo.

 

Deathgaze -> Ai (solo)

Basically sounds the same to me. 

 

cocklobin -> Develop One's Faculties

Yuya and Sora formed DOF and it's really different from what cocklobin was doing but it's pretty different from everything in the scene which is why I like it. 

 

girugamesh -> KEEL

Shuu joined a superband with other nagoya kei dudes if you're into that sort of thing.

[Original Saku 1593]

1 hour ago, finnthesubhuman said:

What happened to J-rock? Where did it all go? Someone help, I feel lost. Who are the successors? if all of the bands I used to know have gone do I even like j-rock anymore? Am I alone in this feeling?

 

I think the correct question is what happened to Visual Kei? Because Japanese rock as a whole is fine and thriving, It's just that VK is extremely short lived to the point where most bands form and disband within a few years of time. It's the main reason why I drifted away from the scene and found love in other areas of Jrock. In my opinion it's just not worth getting involved and attached to these VK bands much less spend money on them when they could disband at the drop of a hat. VK just hasn't been the same since 2007-2008.

 

 

[CAT5 9075]

You're always welcome to join me in my lonely corner of J-indie bands that aren't typically associated with popular, gaijin perspective of J-rock!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

....

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JukaForever 758]

If you aren't checking out new bands regularly then it's your fault for not having enough bands to look forward to. If you are but they all don't match you music style (which seems unlikely with the bands you listed), then there isn't much you can do about the lack of releases. 

 

I only check out new bands every now and then or when youtube decided to bombard my recommended videos list with J-rock bands. I don't really wonder what happened to it, it seems fine IMO. It is still there after all and it seems like there is always new bands popping up.

[Original Saku 1593]

19 minutes ago, CAT5 said:

You're always welcome to join me in my lonely corner of J-indie bands that aren't typically associated with popular, gaijin perspective of J-rock!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

....

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm right there with you man!  We should convert everybody to our side XD

[CAT5 9075]

37 minutes ago, Original Saku said:

I'm right there with you man!  We should convert everybody to our side XD

 

 

*saku-sempai!*

 

 

Ok, I don't wanna hijack the thread with my sob story, so to answer the OP's question:

 

I don't really follow VK, but I've noticed quite a bit of buzz around bands like xaa-xaa, DADAROMA, DEZERT, and 黒百合と影 (kuroyuri to kage),so those may be worth trying out if you haven't already. From the bands you listed, I think the latter two might be most up your alley? Don't quote me on that tho! >.> 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2016 by CAT5

[peffy 3568]

2 hours ago, Original Saku said:

In my opinion it's just not worth getting involved and attached to these VK bands much less spend money on them when they could disband at the drop of a hat.

 

Hmm. I just want to say that... it should not matter how long a band sticks around before disbanding. They make music, and deserve to be supported (financially and emotionally) by fans of their music.

 

Suppose a hypothetical band releases one amazing masterpiece album that you loved so much that you bought it. You even saw them live. Then, they disband out of nowhere. Does that suddenly mean the album can't be enjoyed anymore? Does that mean you wasted your money? Do you wish that you never went to that concert?

 

Music has no expiration date. People still enjoy music by artists who are long dead, let alone disbanded. Just because they are no longer alive/active, does not mean that you can't still enjoy what they produced. And, fear that a band could soon disband shouldn't discourage you from listening to their music.

 

4 hours ago, finnthesubhuman said:

 if all of the bands I used to know have gone do I even like j-rock anymore? 

 

If you still like the music by the bands you listed, you still like J-rock. You might not like any NEW J-rock, but the old J-rock will always be there for you if you want it.

 

..

 

Sorry if any of that sounded really corny. And you know, all that is my opinion of how music should be enjoyed. If you want to insist on only listening to "new music" or "bands that are unlikely to disband", feel free, you do you.

[Hakoniwa 222]

1 hour ago, Original Saku said:

I'm right there with you man!  We should convert everybody to our side XD

I'm right there with you guys too ;_; I'm all for converting people lol

 

Most bands I used to like are disbanding too... It's just how I said in my introduction post. But I've been finding more and more bands that interest me, so it helps. I started looking for more music when I noticed most of the artists I like were nowhere to be seen, and I managed to find some good ones. Plus I like finding new music.

About VK... yea, I'm in the same boat, it's hard, but j-indie isn't really different tbh. It's also sad how many people leave their bands because they have to work, because they can't live through music... So I'm trying to look around the forums to see if any of the "new" VK bands interest me, maybe doing so will help you too. I still haven't found any, but I probably should look harder. XD

YouTube also helps a lot. And Twitter.

[vanivani 558]

It sucks when your favorite artists disband, but that's just what happens... One of my favorite bands, 蒼-AO-, have been disbanded for a few years, but I still listen to their music all the time. You can always still listen to your favorite bands. And I bet there are at least a couple of new visual kei bands that you would like. Just gotta search.  

[violetchain 912]

1 hour ago, peffy said:

If you still like the music by the bands you listed, you still like J-rock. You might not like any NEW J-rock, but the old J-rock will always be there for you if you want it.

^This.

Plus you never know when members will come out with a cool new project or bands you love will get back together. Two of the only VK bands I actually listen to regularly just randomly announced reunions not that long ago, so yeah...a disbandment or hiatus is not necessarily reason to give up if you still love the band's music.

[hiroki 5521]

2 hours ago, peffy said:

 

Hmm. I just want to say that... it should not matter how long a band sticks around before disbanding. They make music, and deserve to be supported (financially and emotionally) by fans of their music.

 

Suppose a hypothetical band releases one amazing masterpiece album that you loved so much that you bought it. You even saw them live. Then, they disband out of nowhere. Does that suddenly mean the album can't be enjoyed anymore? Does that mean you wasted your money? Do you wish that you never went to that concert?

 

^All of this.

 

If people don't support a band because of their fear that the band might disband in the near future, they are doing nothing but expediting the disbandment. Obviously that's not saying you should make it your mission in life to help bands stick around longer, but if you genuinely enjoy what the band is doing, then I think you do have an interest in helping to prolong the band's longevity so that they can produce more music without constantly fearing where the money for their next meal is coming from.

 

Actually, I'm not even sure if this entire 'vk bands today disband a lot faster' assumption even holds any water. The briefest look at the history of the scene will show you that no matter how far back you go, it's literally the case that bands form and disband every single day. Pick a random year, and in all likelihood there were as many bands with 5 fans that had released 2 songs before disbanding than there are today. (This is especially the case if we acknowledge that vk does not only exist in the major centers i.e. Tokyo, Osaka.) Our perspective is just heavily skewed today from perpetually looking at vk news under the microscope (thanks to Trombe, and well, social media in general). We think the 'disbandment culture' is a novel phenomenon, when in fact it probably has been there since vk (or any other scene you might care to name) existed. That's just how things work.

 

Edited July 10, 2016 by hiroki

[Ikki 807]

Just now, hiroki said:

 

Actually, I'm not even sure if this entire 'vk bands today disband a lot faster' assumption even holds any water. The briefest look at the history of the scene will show you that no matter how far back you go, it's literally the case that bands form and disband every single day. Pick a random year, and in all likelihood there were as many bands with 5 fans that released 2 songs before disbanding than there are today. (This is especially the case if we acknowledge that vk does not only exist in the major centers i.e. Tokyo, Osaka.) Our perspective is just heavily skewed today from perpetually looking at vk news under the microscope (thanks to Trombe, and well, social media in general). We think the 'disbandment culture' is a novel phenomenon, when in fact it probably has been there since vk (or any other scene you might care to name) existed.

 

I know in the early '90s scene, bands split just as fast as they do now.  The only difference is that they would release a couple of demo tapes instead of several single. The bands that were popular would also release an EP, maybe an LP if you're lucky, before disbanding within a year or two.  This might actually apply to the '90s era of visual kei, but I haven't really gone hunting for/researching of random one-off bands that were around the mid to late '90s. 

 

I really haven't been following active VK bands since 2005, after I had a major falling out with the genre.  When I got back into in 2007-ish, might have been late 2006,  I started to mostly listen to old disbanded bands because I didn't want the disappointment of a band that I really like disbanding or going really sour before disbanding.  Every now and then, I would check out a new band or two and return to my old disbanded bands.  The only bad thing about my stubborn way is that the super old farty bands I like have a thing of reuniting every so often and release a super sub-par album.  (Looking at you, Billy & the Sluts.)  Sometimes, I get stuck with the only active member of a band being the one I don't like, but I still follow them because I want to believe that there may be a chance that they might reunite. *cough*Kamaitachi & Kenzi*cough* 

 

In the past couple of years, I've been buying random singles and albums of bands that were released from 2007 to now, regardless on the band's current status.  I am sadden that a few of the bands I missed the chance of interacting with the fandoms while the bands were still around, but that's something I have to deal with myself.

 

The only advice I can give is that you can stick with the old disbanded bands you liked six years ago or you can get your feet wet and try some newer bands. 

[NICKT 147]

"J-Rock" and you list visual kei bands...

JRock = Japanese Rock = Literally heaps.

 

For new releases I follow Akuma Musiik on youtube and they upload a weekly video of top 40 Japanese releases.

I also visit Yuonmai where there are new releases and uploads daily.

 

Through these two I've found a lot of new bands and artists that fill up most of my library to the point where visual kei takes up easily less than 25%.

Mostly just branch out your tastes and where you look for music.

[finnthesubhuman 26]

Yeah because Girugamesh post-MUSIC and even Deathgaze for that matter are VISUAL kei d; I tend to just use the term j-rock to describe every Japanese band I listen to regardless of what they wear. It's just easier.

 

And yeah, I was checking out releases shortly after The Black Swan formed but the last thing I remember listening to was something by Black Gene and it was so generic and yawn. And I realised all the bands were doing the same thing: a few heavy songs which are angry for the sake of it, some breakdowns, a bit of wob and then an interchangeable  ballad now and then. It was at that point I just decided nah, no new bands are actually capturing the same magic as the other bands did years ago, and if I want more of the same I might as well keep following Sadie and Deathgaze because lord knows they had their formulas down by the end. I came back for Ousia, but didn't stay.

 

I mean, Cocklobin's first EP, Nega's first EP, nearly every Dir en grey album up to Uroboros (and Rinkaku). It's like DSS triggered some kind of mediocre metalcore mentality. STALE is a perfect word for what the VK scene was like when I left it, and coming back to it...well, some of these replies make it seem like it's still pretty grim.

 

Of course if you guys have any DIFFERENT sounding minis or singles from anything reasonably new I'll be happy to give it a shot. I'm not jaded, just bored. I need fresh meat, you know? The albums I love I tend to play only when I'm in a certain mood because wearing the limited supply out is something I don't wish to do. I want them to keep that special feeling as long as possible. CAt5 noted a few which I'll give a shot (what should I start with, though?).

 

I remember the days back in '07 and '08 (and even '09) where I could download ANY mini album and not regret it.

[YuyoDrift 1540]

On 7/9/2016 at 3:18 PM, finnthesubhuman said:

Everything I used to listen to in 2007, 2008 and 2009 is not only making music I'm on the fence about, they're more or less gone forever.

 

What happened to J-rock? Where did it all go? Someone help, I feel lost. Who are the successors? if all of the bands I used to know have gone do I even like j-rock anymore? Am I alone in this feeling?

 

 

Sounds like you should skim/post in the thread I made a while back.

You'll see that you aren't alone.

 

There are too many factors to consider when diagnosing what you may be going through (Getting older, Experiencing new things, Lifestyle changes, etc). Everyone has hit that plateau at some point, or "burned out" in a way where the music just doesn't sound the same to one's ears as it once did before.

I will admit that some of the most memorable Visual Kei to me was during the mid/late 00's as well, and that's relatively the time where a lot of the members here starting listening, and the internet evolved to a point where discovering music overseas was that much easier.

 

The best advice (plenty of other members have mentioned this in the other thread) would be to take a break from the scene, or start going back in time to the earlier sounds of the genre. Where it all began.

 

"Fresh meat" is not going to sound so "fresh", if all you know is music from one era alone. Time to take off the training wheels.

[Original Saku 1593]

Hey @finnthesubhuman if you just want to check out new stuff and branch out to new things, go check out our monthly recommended tracks thread, It's full of all kinds of different music both vk and non-vk and overall is a great way to find new stuff to listen to. I'll link you below.

 

that's the one from last month and you can find past ones in the same sub forum. Happy listening

Edited July 12, 2016 by Original Saku