HELLO EVERYONE

[Dyingmoments 19]

I'm Jamie. I'm an engineer from South Carolina. Ive been into VK and most J-music since....sometime in the late 90's.  Im not sure when it was but someone posted a link to the ESP Japan site and I saw all the glorious and batshit guitars there and had to hear the music these people made. The first band  I listened to was Malice Mizer. This was before youtube so I had to get on soulseek and download everything I could find. Before long I was watching Gackt descend from the ceiling of a cathedral in angel wings and 7" press on nails and I havent looked back since.

 

I suppose what I like most about VK, as a man, is how it approaches a male perspective in vastly contrasting and opposing ways from alot of western music. VK presents an intimacy that you just dont get from male performers in the west, especially in heavier settings. VK artists can be distressed or vulnerable or sexual in a way that's not the standard western "old man and the sea" style of abstraction. I guess its that, alot of times, they approach sexuality or sentimentality in a direct and open way that, as a man, just does'nt exist in my world.

 

Im a pretty sentimental person and, especially being a man in the south, that has its own problems. VK is kindof a wonderland for me in that sense. Im sure thats why it appeals to a mostly female fanbase, though from experience women dont seem all that thrilled with having men like that in their life directly. 

 

I joined because I find that, when you bring up VK on most forums or in most music discussion settings, it generally invites disaster. Alot of people that are "serious" about music, if they've ever heard about it at all, discredit it as being silly or as an extension of otaku culture. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand I completely see the otaku argument. I think there is a larger portion of the fanbase that would'nt be into it if they were'nt into anime or videogames. Im not saying that makes them any less of a fan at all, but I'm never sure if they really like it for the music or mostly because its "HOT AZN BOIZ". I also get that being attractive and being fashion forward gives alot of westerners the impression that the scene is a gimmick. I guess I understand that and I definitely think there are some bands that are far less serious about their musical output than others. 

 

Anyway I'll stop rambling. I'm happy to be here and thank you so much for having me. I hope I make some friends and learn alot of new things!

[Dyingmoments 19]

OH AND ALSO: 

 

Some of my favorite bands are: KAGRRA, Dir en Grey, Suneohair, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, PLENTY, PlasticTree, The Novembers, D'ERLANGER, Glay, cruyff in the bedroom, 9MM Parabellum Bullet, HEAVEN IN HER ARMS, Dragon Ash, KA.F.KA, Within The Last Wish, Luna Sea, d'espairs ray, lost in the fog, Vampilia...

[suji 8317]

That's a pretty interesting look at jrock/visual kei! It's far different from what everyone else is used to and it certainly pushes boundaries! 

 

Welcome to Monochrome Heaven! We're happy to have longtime jrock fans here to educate us!!  If you need any help or have questions, please feel free to message me, or any other staff with colored names (red/blue/green) 

[riyusama 79]

Oh wow, I've never read someone write like this before! I mean, in their perspective towards VK and all that. And tbh, I relate to you in a sense that when I introduced VK music to my own family and friends, a lot of them said they look gay and shit. So, most of the time I let people hear the music first before seeing what the musicians looks like lol altho, others will be assholes and say it's not good music because they can;t understand the lyrics bleh

 

let bygones be bygones and just enjoy the music and find people who appreciates your tastes as well ❤️ 

 

Welcome to Monochrome! I'm a newbie as well, although my knowledge of bands are a little more of the recent ones, probably since when I came to the scene, it was more of The GazettE era and etc XD

[monkeybanana4 1732]

It's really interesting to hear about yours views on VK. I find it fascinating that VK is closely tied to topics concerning sexuality and how the music genre pushes the meaning/definition of gender.

 

Btw, awesome to meet another Kagrra, fan! Still love listening to their music even though they're no longer together.

 

 

[Dyingmoments 19]

Ive always thought it was fascinating that men in the VK scene were put on display the way women are in the rest of the global entertainment industry. 

 

Its really conflicting...on one hand my personal opinion is that our society treats sex and legitimate sexual attention or overtures as an exchange. Women are raised to treat their sexuality as a sort of currency, that when they decide to be intimate with someone, they are somehow losing something or that the other person is "winning". Males are taught that they need to center all interactions around the possibility of taking part in these exchanges. Putting men on display like that inverts what could be called a "power" relationship. As a man theres a part of me that is gratified by this. Being male in most of the world means not necessarily being desired for who you are. We are conditioned to chase women and when we receive attention it often feels almost as if you got away with something. I hate that feeling and I've hated that dynamic my entire life. 

 

On the other hand seeing the girls react like little pigs is quite unsavory. I honestly feel for the band members in that always being evaluated based on how you look and having the fans screaming lewdly at you all the time (even to a male) must get distasteful. Though I fully understand that the reason 99% of musicians start their careers is to receive more attention of that sort. Though going online and seeing more comments on your outfit or your hair than on your music must be the reason why some bands abandon the VK look in some ways. 

 

Also I adore Kagrra. Gozen is a very special album for me. Especially ayashi no hikari and genoku. Its a shame we dont have any live footage from this album...

 

 

Edited September 11, 2018 by Dyingmoments

[monkeybanana4 1732]

That's true, isn't it? In the VK scene, men are being put on display as products unlike most of the entertainment industry where females are front and center. (Although, there are a few female VK bands, but I don't see many of them gain as much attention as their male counterparts aside from exist trace.) 

 

I think that's an interesting view. Ironically, I believe the sexual attention/sex appeal of the VK scene (and entertainment industry in general) is what makes the whole business function. Look at some of the outfits VK musicians wear. Some of it maybe due to musical/artistic choice, but a lot of times there is heavy fanservice tied into the images. It's why some fans are fanatic over collecting pictures from their favorite members in a band. (Not all fans, just some.)

 

It is depressing to see that the quality of music gets washed over in some discussions and the whole conversation becomes more about who looks the hottest or whatever. Kind of sad since you buy the CDs/songs to listen to the music, not simply stare at them. I guess it's the nature of being a musicians, perhaps. You have to be conscious of your appearance to attract more fans and sales regardless of music quality. (Oh, the irony!) 

 

Also, the whole rabid fan appearance is just as bad when it comes to female stars. Some male fans (not pointing anyone out in particular) go nuts for their favorite girl member just like the girls who are crazy about their sexy VK musician. But I do agree that it is quite bizarre and uncalled for when some female fans get a little too zealous. I think people need to chill.

 

Gozen is a golden treasure in their discography. It is quite sad to not be able to see those songs (and that whole album) played live. I always enjoy watching Kagrra play their music live since their music is unique with a nice finesse. In general, I have a hard time tracking down Kagrra live DVDs, which is a shame since they're one of the my favorite visual kei bands. Speaking of appearance, I like Kagrra's costumes because it somehow managed to tie into the music they created.