JPOP and JROCK

personally i like asian kung fu generation, FLOW, Uverworld and Yui. There are others but i can't figure out their names so i gotta track by songs. As for Gackt I like only 2 of his songs. He's good but he doesn't really strike me

Far as J-music goes... I like Sigh, Mono, World End's Girlfriend, Nujabes, DJ Krush, and the soundtracks for Shin Megami Tensei. Yep. D:

Gackt has been getting progressively worse. I'm not sure if it's because he's conforming to the industry more or if the industry is conforming to him more.

DJ Krush is amazing. Have you heard the stuff he did with Luna Sea?

Sweetest Coma Again is amazing and so is Abingdon Boys School's cover.

They did a cover? I need to find that.

Also, my obscure bands of the month: Zoro and Shoujo Lolita23Q

edited 13th Dec '09 9:42:37 PM by Solstace

Not sure either of these really count as J-Rock but I'm gonna plug them anyway - LITE and Nisennenmondai.

Oh, and I know Mono have already been mentioned, but I second that motion.

Pimp whatever you like! There are no genre rules. Well, I don't think there are, anyway.

I've heard about Gackt getting progressively worse. I haven't listened to any of his solo work -Just his Malice Mizer work, but going by that he seems to have some pretty serious talent. And I know he's pretty dedicated.

What's the problem exactly? Is he just getting repetetive, are years of smoking catching up with his pipes, or is it worse than that?

I've heard about Gackt getting progressively worse. I haven't listened to any of his solo work -Just his Malice Mizer work, but going by that he seems to have some pretty serious talent. And I know he's pretty dedicated.

What's the problem exactly? Is he just getting repetetive, are years of smoking catching up with his pipes, or is it worse than that?

It's mostly Broken Base. Some people like his newer work and some don't. This is in large part probably due to his habit of Genre Shift. He changes his sound every album ,so people who are used to the sound he established in one album are likely to be annoyed by the complete switch in the next. It also doesn't help that many fans are still angry that he left Malice Mizer.

edited 14th Dec '09 1:48:19 PM by DeadlyShinx

Well, my problem is that alot of his newer stuff sounds the same. I can listen to any of his old stuff (Pre 2006) and know the song right off the bat. I listen to his newer stuff, and it takes me a few tries to get it right.

Also, Autotune. He doesn't even need it, yet he uses it.

edited 14th Dec '09 10:11:08 PM by Solstace

Well, my problem is that alot of his newer stuff sounds the same. I can listen to any of his old stuff (Pre 2006) and know the song right off the bat. I listen to his newer stuff, and it takes me a few tries to get it right.

Also, Autotune. He doesn't even need it, yet he uses it.

On the matter of autotune the only two songs he uses that on are Ghost and Koakuma Heaven. Now on whether most of his new releases sound the same I don't really agree. Though it depends on what songs your talking. I don't count any of the Kamen Rider related releases as part of his canon, because none of them were composed or arranged by him. Out of the songs that are made by him and released post 2006 I would say the least original would be Returner. Other releases of his since then though I wouldn't say as much. Koukuma Heaven and Ghost sound distinct from most of his work in general. They have a lot of techno and dance elements which aren't typical of his music. Jesus was a lot more aggressive and simple compared to his older hard rock songs. No Reason and Flower doesn't bring to mind anything I know of by him. His two latest releases Zan and Setsugetsuka both have a similar theme of combining Traditional Asian, Rock, and Classical music elements together. But Setsugetsuka is way slower ,more mellow and uses much more classical music elements than Asian elements. While Zan is fast, chaotic, more and aggressive and uses more Japanese elements of the two.

Does anyone know if there is such a thing as an all female Visual Kei band?

Well, in brief...

Danger Gang and Exist Trace are two currently in existance- the former are soft rock, the latter metal. Kill Kiss also debuted yesterday, but I'm not sure what they sound like. Show-Ya are all-female, but I'm not sure whether or not they count as VK. Musically they've been compared to X Japan and Loudness.

Any use?

edited 31st Dec '09 9:35:26 AM by Headfullofimaginary

X Japan practically founded Visual Kei.

Yeah, I'll look into them. Thanks!

No worries.

No mention of Boris? Boris has to be the best band that's come out of Japan.

What, no Crystal Kay?

^^ Ooh, Boris, good shout!

Two more bands from Japan's Post-Rock scene, which is pretty damn good at the moment:

• Te'
• Eksperimentoj

edited 1st Jan '10 3:58:02 AM by Saeglopur

Uhm, guys? No mention of JAM Project yet?

I'd like to mention KOTOKO and Lia for J-Pop.

edited 6th Jan '10 7:34:00 PM by Mapi

I've some KOTOKO records. Oboetete ii yo is a great song. Always makes me smile. Her anime stuff isn't bad either.

My personal favorites are the first Maria Sama Ga Miteru 3rd ED and the first OP to Hayate The Combat Butler.

As You Know, Lia sang Toki wo Kizamu Uta.

edited 6th Jan '10 8:08:10 PM by Mapi

^I did know that, although I kind of get her mixed up with another singer with a similar name.

High And Mighty Color, after a change of singer:

edited 6th Jan '10 8:13:20 PM by zeroplusalpha

QUESTION: Am I the only person here who listens to Oshare Kei?

^^ You mean Riya, the one who sang Megumeru? We had this convo in the Key thread. Deja vu much?

Also, I am so loving Akiko Shikata. She sang Umineko No Naku Koro Ni and Katayoku no Tori.

edited 6th Jan '10 8:21:52 PM by Mapi

And now, Solstace pimps Ali Project. Because they're awesome.

edited 24th Jan '10 9:54:59 PM by Solstace