Most popular Japanese rock artists and groups heavily rely on their created images, their attractivity, and their potential for visual controversy. This isn’t surprising and certainly not a Japan-only phenomenon. But while a certain visual element often also accompanies Western bands, many Japanese bands go for a rather unique style with elaborate make-up and often theme-based outfits, ranging from lavish baroque costumes to cute schoolgirl uniforms.
Cliff considers why visual kei is so… you know… visual, and what happens when the visual is dropped.
I only knew a handful of anime songs back then, and she gave me another CD with a special song on it that made me listen up: Gackt’s “Mizérable” with its catchy violin and rousing groove, plus those suprisingly falsetto vocals from this guy who looked like a spoiled feminist vampire.
Cliff recounts his own introduction to visual kei while sharing the genre’s complex joys to a friend.
Albums don’t just mark one’s career but also the year in which they were released, becoming a unique memento of that period’s mood and spirit. Here is a retrospective on albums that marked the year for the Japanese Visual kei movement.
Asari considers the best full-length releases from the past year.
In January, Kagrra moved to King Records and put out “Core,” and who’s listened to that recently? Viored broke up and aren’t missed much, but a little. X Japan released a so-so song, foreshadowing a year of circus-like goings-on.
Go looks back at the highlights of 2008 in his own inimitable manner, and anticipates 2009.
By Go
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05 Jan 09
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Posted in News
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