Any JPop/JRock/KPop love here?

[Shakey_Jake33]

Occurred to me the other day as a person who mainly listens to JPop, and has absolutely no idea about western music for the past 5 years or so, that I have no idea if anyone else round here listens to that stuff? Anyone?

Obviously I listen to the usual Ayumi Hamasaki/Utada Hikaru that everyone listens to (adore Hikky, Ayu is love/hate), but I listen to a huge amount of idol music. Anything Hello!Project such as Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou and C-ute, as well as AKB48 and psudo-idol stuff like Perfume. I don't really like branding Perfume as mere idol though, because their awesome mix of idol/electronic/gaming-style sounds makes them the most refreshing JPop I've heard over the past 5 years.

I definately need to expand into JRock proper. Heard plenty of Dir en Grey and L~arc en Ciel, though I feel I've not given enough time to Gackt, Malice Mizer, AnCafe etc. And for KPop, REALLY need to get more informed in that field, mainly heard So Nyeo Shi Dae because of my aforementioned idol love, should branch into Wonder Girls I guess.

Anyone else wanna share their interests, have some recommendations? Or feel like also confessing an idol addiction? (I can hope).

[Baseley09]

Guitar Wolf and Vow Wow in particular are super great but thats as far as my jap listening goes.

Edit, monumental badass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZCncAXaXbc

[QualityChimp]

Do Electric Eel Shock (http://electriceelshock.com/) count?

I went to see Bloodhound Gang and EES were supporting. Their songs, guitar skills and crowd interaction was amazing. They're one of the best bands I've seen live and I've seen a lot of bands live!

I liked them so much, I've joined the fan club, which means I'm on their guestlist for life.

They've just tried a new venture where they get people to pledge money to pay for the new album using a site called sellaband.com. They were the most popular artist and the fastest to ever reach their target amount.

If you ever get chance to see them live - DO IT!

QS9Oscz7Smk

If you want to see more, here's a HD video of them headlining the Paradiso in Amsterdam (http://www.fabchannel.com/electric_eel_shock_concert/)

Other than Electric Eel Shock, I've dabbled with Guitar Wolf and seen their film Wild Zero (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Zero), I've listened to Sambomaster and Boris, but none of it excited me like EES do!

[Gruce]

I think Guitar Wolf are over-rated their good, but still. I also liked EES till I purchased their album I had only heard a few songs but their album left alot to be desired my favourite song by them is probably Rock and Roll Can Rescue the World.

A band I like alot from Japan are Seikima II (Seikimatsu).

I don't see how you can be so out of touch with Western music as you claim, just cause its from the east does not qualify it as decent, your missing out on alot of good home-grown music.

[Brodie]

I absolutely love Perfume. Totally hooked on them currently. Musume have been a bit shit for a few years though (if they were every really any good, before anyone says it...)

Love Ai Otsuka as well, she's great fun.

Asian Kung Fu Generation is the only J-rock stuff I'm into i guess though.

Oh! Met a bunch called The Pinky Piglets in Yoyogi park a few weeks back, girly punk pop bunch, apparently done theme tune for some anime. They were good for a laugh, and the CD ain't bad. Kinda reminds me of Hysteric Blue.

[kryss]

JAM Project of course!
They be responsible for most of the best anime/SRT songs. And they did a very funny cover of the LuckyStar OP.

[r3z]

Not a big fan of Japanese music, but I feel obligated to mention Ulfuls as my friend's cousin is the band's drummer and I met him at a funeral a couple of months ago (top guy, by the way ;)). Probably their catchiest tune is on the first Ouendan game (Gattsu Da Ze on the horse stage), another called Banzai is very famous also.

[KusoGaki]

Japanese: Sex MachineGuns, Aural Vampire, Balzac, DJ Krush, t+pazolite, Zard.

Korean: J, Fly to the Sky, See Ya, Chae Yeon, Lee Soo Young.

[NeoDragoN]

I listen to Asian Kung Fu Generation, Plastic Tree, Flow, Sambomaster, Dir En Grey, Nightmare, Siam Shade, NICO Touches the Walls, Long Shot Party plus a few more...

I just see it as music as long as i like the song the lyrics don't bother me at all.

[Shakey_Jake33]

I absolutely love Perfume. Totally hooked on them currently. Musume have been a bit shit for a few years though (if they were every really any good, before anyone says it...)
Well admittedly I'm not unbiased because I'm a Musume fan, but their newest album 'SEXY 8 BEAT' is brilliant (Genki+ is one of my favourite Musume songs), and their singles have all been of high calibur (Resonant Blue, Mikan, Kanashimi Twilight). However, I recognise that they're perhaps not as standout as back in their heyday, and their current lineup (as much as I like them, as a fan) does lack the character of the likes if Yaguchi Mari, Abe Natsumi, Kago Ai and the like. I speak as someone who loves idol music though... for anyone who hates that stuff, then they'd of always hated them!

Morning Musume are increasingly being outshadowed by AKB48 too, who are undeniably more interesting than anything Hello!Project produces these days.

As for Perfume, I never believed they could top their previous stuff on Complete Best, but GAME absolutely blew me away. A real example of suppassing the hype. Polyrhythm, Chocolate Disco, plastic smile, all brilliant.

[teddymeow]

I'm a huge fan of J-Pop. So much so that I really don't pay much attention to UK music and have to get my missus to tell me what is popular so I can make suitable playlists for work :lol:

I used to be a fan of what many would call "bubblegum pop" but recently my tastes have broadened considerably so, whilst it probably still falls under the genre of pop, I'm enjoying the likes of Double - the 10 year compilation and her best collaborations album were both great, Melody, Aya Kamiki - her new album is fantabulous!, Yui - she's like the Japanese Lene Marlin (if anyone remembers her?), Monkey Majik - those boys are teh awesome. Just some amazingly catchy rhythms, warm lyrics and songs that I can listen to over and over again. Their last album "Sore wa Maru de" was genius but the recent release of "Time" has surpassed my expectations. The mid-album trilogy of "Goin' Places", "Broke Down" and "Closer to You" is just superb!

M-flo are also one of my favourites. Verbal has some amazing lyrical skillz (oh dear) and DJ Taku is a genius on the "wheelz of steel" (although it's most probably some fancy editing software on a PC ;)). It's a real shame that their M-flo loves collaborations have finished now as some of the tracks they put out during that period were brilliant. In fact, it was a lot of their work that led me to check out artists like Melody, Double, Ryohei, Bennie K and a whole load of other ones!

Deep down my favourite will always be Aya Matsuura. I :wub: her! Seriously. Her albums are always of a high quality. Her acoustic album "Naked Songs" was incredible, her last album "Double Rainbow" was something a bit different from what she used to put out and she was in the ridiculously fun "Yo-yo Girl Cop" based on the "Sukeban Deka" anime. I also liked the GAM spin off group that H!P put together as well as Def.Diva too.

Shakey, Genki+ is indeed a great song but I prefer "Egao, yes nude" from that album. Morning Musume are great :)

[Shakey_Jake33]

Deep down my favourite will always be Aya Matsuura. I :wub: her! Seriously. Her albums are always of a high quality. Her acoustic album "Naked Songs" was incredible, her last album "Double Rainbow" was something a bit different from what she used to put out and she was in the ridiculously fun "Yo-yo Girl Cop" based on the "Sukeban Deka" anime. I also liked the GAM spin off group that H!P put together as well as Def.Diva too.

Shakey, Genki+ is indeed a great song but I prefer "Egao, yes nude" from that album. Morning Musume are great :)
GAM are pretty great. I've never been much of a fan of Fujimoto Miki (though she has her cool moments (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwnPk0vGN2Y)), Musume have been much closer without her though, the air of negativity lifted, Mitsui Aika broke out of her shell, and Takahashi Ai has really proved herself this year. There's no doubting Fujimoto Miki's ability, she's one of the best, but she was dragging the boat down. The fact that GAM eventually came to a stand-still because her and Matsurra Aya grew to hate eachother says quite a lot, given how long Aya has been doing the thing. Yoshizawa Hitomi was irreplacable, however.

Eago YES Nude is great, though many people dislike. I think Shanimuni Paradise is my second favourite track on the album. They're a bit overdue a new album though, Berryz have had two released in the meantime!

[teddymeow]

Berryz have had two released in the meantime!

Berryz most recent album was very good. Not sure what my favourite track is. I think I need to listen to it a bit more before I make a decision.

That Youtube video is priceless. I was laughing so hard :lol: Sometimes I find Japanese TV to be a bit forced but that seemed to be genuinely funny.

[Shakey_Jake33]

The entire episode is great, it's one of the best Hello!Morning episodes (though I've not watched loads). The Kamei Eri 'CHEESE BOX COOL' bit is legendary!

I really need to give the new Berryz album more of a play. I don't know why I've not, I loved their 4th album to pieces, and I also love Dschinghis Khan... I think I'm just getting lazy! Or distracted by AKB48 *cough*

[teddymeow]

I really need to give the new Berryz album more of a play. I don't know why I've not, I loved their 4th album to pieces, and I also love Dschinghis Khan... I think I'm just getting lazy! Or distracted by AKB48 *cough*

Ah, AKB48. When I was out in Tokyo on my Honeymoon they had released "Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru" about 2 weeks previously and it ws bloody everywhere! Handy really as it's one catchy song. I'm sure that their outfits have *nothing* to do with them being so popular.

It was only after I had come back to the UK that I realised I could have gone to see them live. Grrrr.

Same with Mihimaru GT. Our third night out in Tokyo this year we went to Odaiba to see the cool neon and the like and there was a Mihimaru concert on! Damn my lack of pre-arrival research. One day I'll know before I get to Tokyo that either (a) there's a group I really like playing a gig or (b) the Japanese national football team is playing and I should get tickets.

[Shakey_Jake33]

'Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru' is one of their darker singles (along with 'Keibetsu Shiteita Aijou'). They're both great, though I think a lot of people who started with AKB on those two singles to find that much their stuff is actually very upbeat! The truth is they do a huge variety of different sounds, but the backlash from the newer fans when BINGO! came out was quite amusing! AKB48 are the best traditional idol group around now though, truth be told, H!P are looking increasingly archaic. I'm praying they're still running in two years when I spend my year in Japan, I'm particularly a fan of Team B. From what I gather from the guys at STAGE48, it's a pain to get tickets these days.

Our man billy_dimashq is big on Mihimaru GT. I've heard a fair bit, though should give them more play time. Got the album here though so I may do in a sec! I'm sure most people here know that song in Ouendan 2 though.

[Eight Rooks]

Tons. Much like teddy, I don't really pay much attention to what ver kidz are listening to; I went to university/hang out/live with people nearly ten years younger than me and I'm practically clueless about much of what they're into. Plus they can't stand the Western stuff I like (various genres of dance, hiphop, bands that remind me of my goth days).

But anyway... I like the usual suspects; Ayu got me into Asian pop culture in a big way, but I like her less and less the more she turns into a female Michael Jackson (physically, I mean. The woman barely looks human these days) and she hasn't done an album as good as I Am... since. Hikki is a goddess, on the other hand, one of the greatest voices on the planet, and I mean that in all sincerity. I'm not wildly into idol music, however. I'll give anything a shot, I have the widest musical taste of anyone I know, but I tend to prefer Asian takes on more Western genres. Sometimes they add something new, sometimes they're just very, very good in their own right, sometimes they take something that's just pure cheese and make it genuinely compelling again. Random favourites - Boom Boom Satellites, Dragon Ash, Ellegarden, Abingdon Boys School, 8Otto, Drunken Tiger, Epik High, Rurutia (another astounding voice), Faye Wong (and another), Akino Arai (and another), Brilliant Green, Gackt, Joujouka, Ripslyme, Supercar, Susumu Hirasawa... eh, I could go on, but I'll stop there. :D

My fascination did start off as pure Japanophile yellow fever, I'll admit, but it's evolved over the years. Regardless of Engrish and blatant aping of Western pop culture I genuinely adore many of these bands. Sometimes even because of all that... Ellegarden are much more than an Asian Blink 182 knockoff to me partly because of the childlike enthusiasm inherent in their whole "screw you, I'll sing in English if I want to" act. They've made it part of who they are, as opposed to other groups like Dustbox, Overarm Throw et al.

[r3z]

LOL, reading through this thread and I don't have a clue who most of these artists are.. however, I have actually seen Berryz Koubou live!

A couple of years ago I got free tickets to a Sumo exhibition for NHK TV at the Ryogoku Kokugikan and after a round of demonstration bouts/skill displays they had a section where the Rikishi performed songs with Enka singers, topped off with a performance of a couple of songs by Berryz. Didn't know who they were at the time (still don't really!), but it stuck in the mind as bizarre as they had no obvious relation to the Sumo exhibition and just came on out of the blue with a sudden switch to concert-style lighting and sent a load of people in the crowd wild!

[Shakey_Jake33]

^You've seen Berryz. I am jealous of you forever! Their appearence does sound bizzare though, they're well known but not massive... sell about 30k normally, and are the second biggest H!P group below Musume, but simply because of their style of JPop, they will always be niche.

Hikky is fantastic of course, I adore Ultra Blue. She's recording an English album, but her last English album was abysmal (with the exception of Devil Inside), so I approach that with much fear. I really don't want her to go for the western R'n'B sound, she'd loose her own unique style, but I think she really digs western R'n'B :(

As I say, it's love/hate with Ayu. She really does sound best on the remix albums, they are all great. With her 'proper' stuff, I can either really like it (e.g. 'Because of You', 'STEP You', 'AUDIENCE', 'SURREAL' etc.)... but a lot of her stuff can be plain uninteresting. But when she's good, she's VERY good, up there with Hikki. And her remix albums are what got me hooked on JPop, especially Ayu-ro-mix.

[Eight Rooks]

Eh, I thought the only really good one was the first trance album - surprisingly effective for a lineup of fairly cheesy 4-floor chart-friendly acts (I seem to remember Dutch trance was really big at the time, which probably had something to do with the selection). The other trance albums have been severely diminishing returns IMO and the regular mixes tend towards the forgettable. I want J-Eurobeat or the like, I'll stick to Bemani soundtracks, thanks. ;)

And I'd disagree Ayu ever reaches Hikki's level, even with I Am... but then I do tend towards the fanboy. :D I did/do like Exodus, but I agree - Japanophilia aside, it simply wasn't a patch on Hikki's regular output and while I've got no problem with her pursuing dual stardom a la BoA I do hope if she wants to go more RnB for the English markets she keeps it out of her Japanese stuff. Passion is one of my favourite songs of all time, and I can't really think of a Western chart-friendly female singer who offers anything similar to that sort of production - the whole part urban/slick radio-friendly, part ethereal, wistful, melancholy angle.

I think Ultra Blue just edges it over Deep River for me. :) Four absolutely blinding tracks kicking things off, one of the strongest openings to an album I've ever heard, Passion to round it off and the rest's not bad either.

[Shakey_Jake33]

Oh Ayu is no Hikki, just meant that Ayu's better stuff (which tbh is not really anything in the last few years) is very good. As for the remixes, I did like Ayu Trance 3... it was the original Ayu-ro Mix that got me into JPop. Certainly some of them aren't brilliant, though this year's Ayu-mi-x 6 GOLD/SILVER is a real return to form, and really different to the previous albums which were beginning to get dull. Worth checking out.

Ultra Blue is quite possibly my favourite album of all time. Passion is interesting because she actually wrote Sanctuary (the English version) first, and had to re-write it in Japanese (which she reportedly found very hard). Sanctuary is brilliant (as is Passion), and if all of her English stuff was that good, I'd be all for it. I think she's working with established western R'n'B artists though, which is concerning.

[Eight Rooks]

That's weird. I always thought it sounded as if the English version came second - the Japanese seems much more natural whereas the English seems as if it's been awkwardly stretched to scan.

I have no real problem with Western RnB, bear in mind. ;) Nor Asian, for that matter. I just don't think - on the evidence of her career so far - it's really one of Hikki's strengths. Merely hooking up with Timbaland or the Neptunes (or whoever the flavour of the month is at the moment) doesn't automatically mean you can raunch it with the best of them, never mind where in the world you're from. Even BoA - candy-coated and largely unthreatening - sounds a hell of a lot more comfortable with her better dancefloor material than Hikki did on most of Exodus.

[fuse]

Huge j-rock fan :x

Listen to lots of bands, and been to see many of them too. Dir en grey (their first time outside Asia in Berlin and another two times after), D'espairs Ray, Polysics (about 3 times), Mucc, Gilgamesh, Envy, Boris, Melt Banana - although the last three I wouldn't really count as 'j-rock' seeing as everyone seems to associate that term with visual kei and little else. They are awesome however.

Had tickets for Kaggra and An Cafe too but the former was cancelled and I had to miss the latter. Not so much into either of those but would've been there to 'support the scene' and all.

Also into Kuroyume, X-Japan, Luna Sea, Rentrer en Soi, Blood Stain Child, Headphones President, Creature Creature, Malice Mizer, Pierrot, and probably more that I'm forgetting.

Can stomach some j-pop but generally not so much my thing.

[Eight Rooks]

I don't really associate it with visual kei. Partly because I'm not wildly into that, I suppose. Gackt's about as close as I get (in terms of his being a big prancing showman, more than being that musically similar :)), although I like a bit of X-Japan and Dir En Grey.

[RetroReserve]

I've got some Boowy, Himuro Kyosuke and Glay. Got quite a few CDs and DVDs of theirs now.

I would really appreciate any band suggestions that I should keep a look out for.

[teddymeow]

Cover You - the 9th Morning Musume album is out on Wednesday!

Can't wait!

[Shakey_Jake33]

Yeah looking forward to it too, the first new Musume album of sorts for a year and a half, even if this isn't a 'proper' new album as such. Curiously, it does have Pepper Keibu, but also lacks Kanashimi Twilight, Onna ni Sache Are, Mikan and Resonant Blue, implying a 'proper' new album is just around the corner.

Apparently the 7th album on the track, 'Dounimo Tomaranai', is one of the W singles that got cancelled after the Kago Ai scandals. Will be interesting to see what that's like.

[MisterKIKI]

m-flo all the way! Back in my yuff, I dabbled with sequencer/tracking software called mod-plug and started to understand how samples are manipulated to make music (I'm a Chemical Process Engineer now). At the time, I was also into 2step and m-flo did a pretty good 2step remix of Utada Hikaru's Distance, which brought me to m-flo's Expo Expo and was just blown away by what DJ Taku can do. Favourite album of all time is Astromantic. It's got everything from hip pop to swing and jazz and it's the first album where I loved every single track (including the intro).

Other than m-flo, I mainly tend towards RnB,Hip-Hop/Pop kind of stuff, i.e. early Utada Hikaru, Suite Chic, post Suite Chic Namie Amuro, Zeebra, Double, Johnny Astro and the Diamond Crooks.

Just to bring it back to games, I also bought both YMCK albums. :thumb:

I got into Korean music when a friend of mine showed me music videos from S.Korea. They were very cinematic. They were also bloody melodramatic to the point of hilarity. Don't know about Hyori Lee's music, but her videos are hawt. I also like MC Sniper and more recently got into Tashannie/t/Yoon Mi Rae.

This might be a bit of a controversial question, but how much do you pay for as opposed to download? And if you buy, are you the type of person who would go the extra mile for First Press editions and Japan domestic versions, as opposed to identical overseas/Asian versions (you'll know what I'm talking about :p)?

[Mr_Sands]

Shiina Ringo

Shiina Ringo

Shiina Ringo

Shiina Ringo

She is Phenomenal.

SUGXfb70q1o

[Shakey_Jake33]

Dir en Grey are playing in Bristol on the 16th as part of the Kerrang Relentless tour - anyone else going?

I need to find myself a shirt to wear, or at least somehow make one. I think I've left it a bit too late to order the ebay ones :( If anyone can help there, it'd be appreciated.

[nakamura]

Big into the scene here.
Cant stand Ayu at all just to clear it up. I have my reason but both myself and Maiko are not fans.
We do like Utada a lot mind, got the latest album Heart Station in Tokyo on release and we really love it.
Dreams Come True are an absolute favourite as are Ken Hirai and Southern All Stars.

Another fav and a mini claim to fav is Cocco. Anyone know her?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocco
http://www.cocco.co.jp/english/index.html#top


She is not only fantastic, but also a very good friend of Maikos and Maiko even contributed on her album Zansaian!

Makes me very proud!

Im also a huge fan of Ram Rider, Mondo Gross and Eri Nobuchika to name a few!

[fuse]

Dir en Grey are playing in Bristol on the 16th as part of the Kerrang Relentless tour - anyone else going?

I need to find myself a shirt to wear, or at least somehow make one. I think I've left it a bit too late to order the ebay ones :( If anyone can help there, it'd be appreciated.
I'm seeing them in London on the 30th. Was going to try and make it to the Norwich show too, but I'm in France on the 20th to see Mix Speakers Inc...

Can you tell that I belong in this thread :lol:

[Shakey_Jake33]

Saw Diru on Friday, they were feckin' awesome as you'd expect. The crowd loved 'em too, even people who didn't know them. A mere 5 (maybe 6) song setlist, but they played THE FINAL, which made my night.

Die was signing albums too, so I got one signed. They're not allowed to take photos with people though (some lame Kerrang rule). I did try my luck by asking (in Japanese), but he had to decline. Still, top performance!

[ETC]

went to the Maximum the Hormone gig in london last november :)

[Shakey_Jake33]

Musume are playing in the states!

http://www.hello-online.org/index.php?act=helloonline&CODE=article&topic=735

England dammit, ENGLAND. :(