It's a little past the half-way point for this year, so I thought I'd look back at some of best Japanese visual kei full album releases of 2008 so far. Spectacular albums were put out by several major figures in the industry, and the overall quality of the releases has been amazing. So many artists took innovative steps in their sound, trying new things and creating very unique, creative music that forms not only a developmental step forward for the groups themselves, but for the music scene as a whole. I really think some of these albums presented a level of experimentation and freshness that is truly impressive not only within the visual kei genre, but with consideration to the rest of the international music scene as well.
* Among the albums released this year were heidi.'s 'Innocence', Versailles' 'Noble', An Cafe's 'Gokutama Rock Cafe', and Miyavi's 'This Iz the Japanese Kabuki Rock', all of which I've discussed previously on this blog, so if you're interested in reading more about/hearing more songs from those works, check out my previous posts! : )
Anyway, here are highlights from what I consider to be among the top albums of the year:
SID - Sentimental Macchiato
An awesome album from SID with some of the greatest songs of their career up till now in my opinion. I definitely recommend this album highly as a must-listen for the year. SID's jazzy, melodic, and catchy sound really shines here, and the album includes a good variety of upbeat happy tunes and some harder songs, while showing off a more polished and generally smoother, lighter feel. I feel like SID has really come into their own and made the public sit up and notice them with this album, as evidenced by their success on the Oricon charts. Listen: 'Shougen'
Kagrra, - Core
Kagrra,'s album 'Core' is a wonderful listen that maintains the mix of rock and traditional Japanese elements that Kagrra, is known and loved for, but also introduces a touch of pop sensibility to their sound. The light, flowing melodies and beautiful compositions mixed with catchy beats make this album one you can listen to over and over again.
Listen: 'Shigatsu Tsuitachi' 'Sai'
I've discussed this album previously so I won't go into too much detail, but I think it embodies Miyavi's latest visual and musical transformation well, displaying a novel mix of Japanese traditional elements, rock, hip-hop, and underground urban style. I also respect the statement Miyavi is making with his music in this album, and I think it shows his increasing maturity and expands his credibility as a serious musician and major figure in the industry. It may not have been to everyone's liking, but I think you have to admit there's nothing else like this out there.
I've just written about this band/album recently, so again I won't go into depth here, but I think Versailles has shown what they're made of with this album and proved their worth to a degree. Their style is gaudy and grandiose, but that's what they're aiming for and they pull it off better than most other bands of a similar ilk. Despite it being their first full album, 'Noble' displays good cohesiveness, sound technical ability, and a strong style that is different from the current crowd.
And last but not least, my pick for the best album of the first half of 2008 is...
This album honestly blew me away. I really like MUCC since they're an excellent band and consistently put out top quality music, but I feel they've totally outdone themselves with this one. When I first listened to 'Shion' I felt a rush of excitement and feeling of "this is awesome!" that I haven't experienced in quite a while. (It's the same way I felt when I first listened to some of Dir en grey's earlier albums like 'Macabre' and 'Vulgar', which is saying something because it was Diru that first got me into v-kei and those albums are just classic.) I like practically every song on the 13 track cd (with the unusual exception of 'Flight' -_-lll), something that's pretty rare even with the best of albums, which is a testament to what skillful musicians MUCC are. I think this will end up being one of the best albums of 2008 as a whole, and it's certainly become my favourite MUCC album ever.
One of the most outstanding features of 'Shion' is the sheer variety of musical styles in it. This ability to play around and make each style sound great while retaining their signature sound displays MUCC's versatility and talent. There's lovely string arrangements, great use of electronics, and tons of new exotic/ethnic elements in the songs in addition to the usual headbang-worthy riffs. There's some hints of Middle Eastern melodies, pop, techno, latin techniques, and even a touch of tribal drums. MUCC's typical hard rock style is pushed up a notch in several songs with near metal-like heaviness in the composition, plus there's a little gothic twist added in at times too, something MUCC have done well before.
In my opinion, this album is a masterpiece for MUCC. For sure 'Shion' is a must-listen...with so much variety there's bound to be something in here everyone can appreciate, so I highly recommend it even if you aren't usually a big fan of Jmusic or v-kei! ; ) [* 'Shion' is available in the US iTunes music store, btw] Here's some tracks to listen to: 'Fukuro no Yurikago' 'Anjelier' 'Chiisana Mado' 'Shion'
I got a new phone today! I have the same number and everything, but had to renew my contract, so I got a new phone as part of the deal. It's a red Juke by Samsung...it's small, compact, and light, which is great since it was annoying that my old phone was so chunky and weighed so much, taking up a lot of space and making my small bags heavy.
I made onigiri for lunch today, but I cheated and used the easy way (a small bowl & plastic wrap) instead of forming it with my bare hands...it's just so much faster and more convenient that way. ^_^; Besides, when I do them by hand, they tend to fall apart as soon as you bite into them...I guess I need more practice, ne?
I was checking out some young, new indie v-kei bands recently [almost all were disappointing, by the way], and I came across Kazoku (華族), which was a reminder of sorts since they're a band I've been aware of for awhile. I found them to be pretty decent when I first came across them, and thought they were better than alot of the other crap that's out there, but hadn't gotten around to listening to more than one mini-album by them, and as it turns out I kinda left them on the metaphorical dusty shelf of my music library and forgot about them. So, when I went rooting around for info on them I discovered they'd disbanded quite some time ago, sadly a common fate for very many v-kei groups, but then again based on their music I'm not entirely convinced they could've made it big in the competitive industry...they were better than most in the small-scale indie scene, but didn't have a special spark that made them really stand out and grab people's attention, imo.
At first The Kiddie had a pretty standard visual image, but with the release of their second single, they suddenly went all colourful and shiny...almost SuG style, but less spastic. This is kind of worrying, but hopefully they won't become just another near-carbon copy of another band or blatantly copy other groups' signature styles...which seems to be happening alot these days. Anyway, overall the band is ok...nothing spectacular, but not bad either...out of the young oshare kei bands around right now, they're probably one of the better, less annoying groups. I think they have good musical sensibilities and know what sounds are popular with people at present, so if they can find a unique style and good niche to settle in, they could do pretty well. But right now they seem a bit all over the place musically, in an experimental phase, I suppose.
'Plastic Art' 'In One Sense' 'One and Only'
Compare The Kiddie 'before' on the left, with the 'after' on the right:
The band Versailles has been getting tons of attention since it formed, mostly because several of the members are experienced, established figures in the visual kei scene, have a lot of talent, and the band sort of went against the current trends in the industry by adopting very elaborate, aristocratic 18th century-style European costumes. Much like the palace referred to in their name, the band's clothes are gaudy and ornate. Nowadays this style is rather rare, and I don't think any other bands currently have such lavish, antiquated outfits to this degree. I think only the now-disbanded Malice Mizer can be said to outdo them in showiness and extravagance, although their style was stranger/more disturbing and mixed with more modern fashion elements.
Versailles is certainly on the extreme end of the visual-kei scale when it comes to their image, but perhaps this is a good thing since that type of band has almost totally died off since the end of the 90's and Versailles may increase the popularity and interest in the aesthetic...which could make way for a come-back of sorts (but it's rather unlikely to happen). Nevertheless, if they manage to put a new spin on this old look and do something interesting musically they could be a decent success, although the mainstream sector of the Japanese public probably won't get into such an extreme visual group on any significant level.
Although I'd seen the pv for their first single, 'The Revenant Choir', a long time ago, I have to say I wasn't too keen on Versailles at first. I try not to judge based on appearance, but usually you can tell what a v-kei band will sound like by their look, and I've never been really into bands of this sort. Honestly it has nothing to do with the costumes, I just never really got hooked on that kind of sound. (In fact, I think you have to admire the creativity and effort put into the outfits and their unique beauty.)
But, listening to Versailles other work, the mini-album 'Lyrical Sympathy' and new album 'Noble', I found myself enjoying it more than I expected. The members have some impressive skills, and unlike many other similar bands before them, I feel Versailles' songs are more varied and interesting, with distinct melodies and hooks that grab your attention. And, I've always liked Kamijo's voice too, ever since he was in Lareine (although I wasn't crazy about Lareine's musical composition). They may not be everyone's cup of tea, or the best of the best, but Versailles definitely have talent and a strong visual concept that catches the eye. Some of the members may look like women, wear high platform boots, heavy makeup, and perform in extravagant dresses, but they can shred like nobody's buisiness, so at the very least you've gotta give them credit for that. ^_^ Anyway, here're some songs to sample: 'Suzerain' 'Sympathia' 'The Love from a Dead Orchestra' 'Windress' 'To the Chaos Inside'
Ugh, I'm doing my best to refrain from spending money this summer so I have a nice amount of spending money for when I go to Japan, but it's gotten to the point where I'm going up the wall at the lack of shopping (which sounds stupid, but when you haven't bought anything for yourself in over 5 months, it really gets to you). I mean, normally I don't actually buy that much stuff for myself compared to some other people I know, since my philosophy is I'd rather wait till I find something quality and unique, even if it's a bit more expensive, rather than splurge on dull, unexceptional items. But right now there's so many nice tops and shoes and things that I really want to get...so maybe I'll give in just a little and limit myself to 5 things or less...a few tops, and perhaps one pair of heels and one pair of flats. I'll try to think of all the wonderful things in Japan and hold on in the meantime...there's only a month and a half to go!
Then again, the exchange rate's not great and things are quite expensive in Japan, so I probably won't be able to afford (or rather, won't be willing to pay so much) for a lot of the stuff I find. Well, at the very least I plan to browse the shops and see what's there...I'm definitely planning a trip to Hankyu, the famous [and massive] department store near Kyoto Station. If nothing else I'll just ogle the Vivienne Westwood stuff and wish I had the funds to afford even the smallest scrap of fabric designed by her (even VW t-shirts are $100+ TT_TT).
It's a shame Vivienne Westwood is so hard to find in the U.S., she's one of my favourite designers and I really like her sense of style. So, even if I could somehow afford to buy it, it's pretty hard to get your hands on here, and the shops that carry it usually only have the Anglomania line. What with the horrendous stuff a lot of people are wearing these days it might do the country some good to have designers like her more available. Also, while I'm in Japan I'd like to check out another one of my favourite designers, h.Naoto (despite the fact that I most likely won't be able to afford anything...though the prices are more reasonable than VW). Although most available in Tokyo, I hear there's a branch in Osaka, so if I head down there I'll definitely check it out.
I popped into the city today to pick up my visa for entry into Japan. Going to the consulate is pretty serious business though; they make you sign in, state your purpose, and show a photo ID, then you have to be escorted up to the 18th floor by a security guard, then put your bag through a x-ray machine and walk through a metal detector, and then take the right colour tab (depending on what you're there for) with a number and wait for your turn. Luckily it's usually not very busy, so there's not a long wait or anything, but they're very strict with the security. After all that it only took me literally, like 2 min. to actually get my visa and that was it...getting into the place was the most time-consuming part! ^_^;
Haha, that reminds me, speaking of security...last time I was in Chinatown, I noticed that there were cops closing down the shops that sell fake bags...like, cordoning them off with yellow tape and everything. There were whole blocks of shut down stores with closure notices from the city posted on the metal pull-down gates. This really surprised me, because for years the city's done nothing about the fake bag sellers, although I've seen police chasing the dvd and cd bootleggers down the street and stuff. It seems like they're really cracking down this time and seriously shutting people down though, so if anyone wants fake bags, etc., you better hurry up and get them soon, because before long they may not be there anymore (well, I'm sure they'll find some secret, sneaky way to sell stuff once everything calms down..but for now at least there's probably gonna be a lull). I mean, who knows, now they might start closing all shops that sell anything that's fake and violates copyright laws...which means big trouble for like, at least half of the stores in Chinatown. -_-lll
Anyways, after going to the consulate I headed down to Union Square and browsed through Strand for awhile...I picked up a copy of Gabirel Garcia Marquez's Of Love and Other Demons, which I'll try to finish by the end of summer. I still haven't finished One Hundred Years of Solitude, but honestly that book, although good, is such a marathon...I'll get around to it one day. :D This one is shorter, so it should be easy...I tend to prefer Marquez's shorter works, like Memories of My Melancholy Whores, since in the longer ones he tends to draw things out and have a more spacey plot that can be difficult to stick with and read straight through, in my opinion.
Now for something fun...I stumbled across this video awhile ago and it made me LMAO like crazy. It's the pv for T.M Revolution's 1998 single, 'Hot Limit'. Now, T.M Revolution (aka. Takanori Nishikawa) has always been very..flamboyant, but as I discovered this was particularly so in the early days...to a degree that surprised even me (and I've seen my fair share of extremely feminine-looking, strangely dressed, awkwardly dancing male Japanese musicians). The lyrics to this song are insanely funny, not to mention his costume, the dance, the location...ok, pretty much everything about the pv. Aaah seriously, words cannot adequately describe it...
I'm about halfway through Chuang Tzu's basic writings now, and it's been a really interesting read. I've read Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching and Hua Hu Ching, so I'm quite familiar with Taoist philosophy, but the anecdotal format of Chuang Tzu's writings is very different from the conciseness of Lao Tzu's lessons. Both tend to repeat and rephrase certain statements or ideas, but Chuang Tzu often uses historical/legendary figures to indirectly demonstrate the Taoist principles instead of using metaphors. Here's some passages I found interesting:
"If a man sleeps in a damp place, his back aches and he ends up half paralyzed, but is this true of a loach? If he lives in a tree, he is terrified and shakes with fright, but is this true of a monkey? Of these three creatures, then, which one knows the proper place to live? Men eat the flesh of grass-fed and grain-fed animals, deer eat grass, centipedes find snakes tasty, and hawks and falcons relish mice. Of these four, which knows how food ought to taste? Monkeys pair with monkeys, deer go out with deer, and fish play around with fish. Men claim that Mao-chi'ang and Lady Li were beautiful, but if fish saw them they would dive to the bottom of the stream, if birds saw them they would fly away, and if deer saw them they would break into a run. Of these four, which knows how to fix the standard of beauty for the world? The way I see it, the rules of benevolence and righteousness and the paths of right and wrong are all hopelessly snarled and jumbled. How could I know anything about such discriminations?"
"Right is not right; so is not so. If right were really right, it would differ so clearly from not right that there would be no need for argument. If so were really so, it would differ so clearly from not so that there would be no need for argument. Forget the years, forget distinctions. Leap into the boundless and make it your home!"
"The sage embraces things. Ordinary men discriminate among them and parade their discriminations before others. So I say, those who discriminate fail to see."
"Hui Tzu said to Chuang Tzu, "I have a big tree called a shu. Its trunk is too gnarled and bumpy to apply a measuring line to, its branches too bent and twisty to match up to a compass or square. You could stand it by the road and no carpenter would look at it twice. Your words, too, are big and useless, and so everyone alike spurns them!"
Chuang Tzu said, "Maybe you've never seen a wildcat or a weasel. It crouches down and hides, watching for something to come along. It leaps and races east and west, not hesitating to go high or low - until it falls into the trap and dies in the net. Then again there's the yak, big as a cloud covering the sky. It certainly knows how to be big, though it doesn't know how to catch rats. Now you have this big tree and you're distressed because it's useless. Why don't you plant it in Not-Even-Anything Village, or the field of Broad-and-Boundless, relax and do nothing by its side, or lie down for a free and easy sleep under it? Axes will never shorten its life, nothing can ever harm it. If there's no use for it, how can it come to grief or pain?""
...and the famous butterfly analogy, of course (anyone who took Fraleigh's Japanese film class will probably remember this one since we compared it with Ghost in the Shell):
"Once Chuang Chou dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn't know he was Chuang Chou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Chuang Chou. But he didn't know if he was Chuang Chou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Chuang Chou. Between Chuang Chou and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things."
So, I got the results from the Genographic Project samples I sent in (see earlier post) awhile ago, but I realized that I never followed up on it, so I figured I'd finally get around to it. After getting the results I did some further research to understand the results better, and they were actually really interesting. I thought they would be pretty straight forward since as far as I know all the recent women in my mother's line were ethnically from south eastern China [i.e. around Guangdong Province, etc.] and I got the feeling they'd been in China for ages. The results would support that idea, but what's most interesting are the implications of the fact that I'm of Haplogroup F:
Your haplogroup likely arose on the high plains of Central Asia between the Caspian Sea and Lake Bikal. It is one of the founding East Asian lineages and, along with haplogroups B and M, comprises around three-quarters of all mitochondrial lineages found there today. ...Today haplogroup F makes up over 25 percent of all Southeast Asians, and shows its greatest sequence diversity in Vietnam."
So it might be that my ancestors migrated as far as southern China and didn't really go any further, although one can never be sure...but since it's quite an old group and not as common as haplogroups B and M, that may suggest that there was little mixing. Also, does this mean that I genetically have more things in common with most Southeast Asians as opposed to most Chinese, Koreans or Japanese? Since I'm mixed (half-Scottish) I don't look it, but my mom and her side of the family actually have tanner skin than many Chinese people [particularly those from the north], and my mom often gets asked if she's Filipino, so there might be something to it. Well, these things can't be known for certain but at the very least it's something to ponder...
Anyways, on a non-scientific/anthropological note, I did some shopping in NYC today...bought some nice omiyage for people in Japan, and a beautiful pair of Gucci sunglasses (the real thing, not a crappy fake ^_^); plus I was lucky that the store happened to be having a sale so I saved a lot of money on 'em! I've needed a new pair for awhile now, and I finally found one I really like...they're not too flashy, but unique...the frames are a stripy-mottled pattern of black and light grey and they're not ridiculously big and round like so many of the sunglasses out there right now. I just can't wear those huge things 'cause they like, eat my face and make me look like some sort of alien. And, since I had them custom fitted they fit perfectly and are super comfortable. : )
I've randomly been listening to some dance/club style remixes for the past few days, which while being very catchy and fun, tend to get seriously stuck in your head...these have been on repeat in my brain lately [I <3 Depeche Mode and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, remix or not!]: 'Y Control (faint remix)' 'You Spin Me Round (like a record) (metro 7 edit)' 'World In My Eyes (Cicada remix - Wintermute edit)'
By the way, I'd heard about a musician named Aoi several times in the past few weeks, so I decided to check him out. Aoi is the vocalist for the band Bounty (a small indie jrock band of the tame v-kei variety), but has been focusing on his solo work and has gained quite a bit of attention with it recently. Aoi's first album, 'Veil', came out this year in late June. He's fairly new on the scene and I haven't quite made up my mind about his work yet...but overall I think the music itself is kinda average, at times a tad mediocre in composition, but the songs have some nice ideas and themes to them...on the whole pretty good for a solo vocalist who's just starting out.
Aoi has a dark, stylish, and slightly gothic image which matches the mood of his music well (he's got good looks too ^-^). The way he sings is pretty interesting...I personally haven't heard anyone with a similar sounding style. Aoi has a unique quality to his voice...it's sort of lilting and smooth, although at times it can sound like he's lamenting constantly, so it might not be to everybody's tastes. But I have to say, all things considered, Aoi has a lot of potential.
I've been trying to study Japanese daily to at least maintain (if not improve beyond) the skill level I had at the end of last semester, but it really is quite hard to keep up with, especially the kanji and reading practice, since it requires not only time but serious focus. I often find myself too tired, busy, or distracted to do it properly, but I found something that really helps with this problem recently. I discovered these books by chance the other day, and find them extremely useful, better than many other similar sorts of books I've seen before. They're called Read Real Japanese; one has essays and the other short fiction by famous contemporary Japanese authors, such as Murakami Haruki, Yoshimoto Banana, Kawakami Hiromi, and Ogawa Yoko.
What I like about these books is that they have the original works in the Japanese (which are pieces written for native Japanese speakers unlike the stuff in textbooks), and on the opposite page there's the text line by line with the English translation. But it's not just a chunk of translated text, they break it down into pieces so you understand each part of the sentences and there's an even more detailed, grammatical explanation in the back of the book, as well as a dictionary. They also come with a cd that has Japanese actors reading the texts aloud.
I'd recommend these books to anyone studying Japanese at the intermediate-to-advanced level who wants to make the jump to reading real literature but doesn't have the skill to dive into the real thing just yet. In any case they're great reading/listening practice material if you want something more interesting and natural than the passages in textbooks. : )
I received information about my host family yesterday! Their family name is Murata, and they live in the northwest part of Kyoto, fairly close to the old imperial palace....which means my commute to KCJS, which is right next to the Kyoto University campus, is only about 30 min. by bus or 15-25 min. by bike. : ) I'll almost certainly be taking the bus though, since I actually don't know how to ride a bicycle, the fares are cheap, and it'll be winter for the majority of my time there, so it would be rather unpleasant cycling anyway (not to mention the hassle of owning a bike, parking, and taking care of it). Also, my host family has a little dog named Jal, which is nice since I love animals but don't have any pets in my own home. ^_^
The pv for the infamous 'Rainbows', the latest single by alice nine. just came out, and I have to say I was quite surprised at the actual LACK of rainbows in it. After the slightly disturbing rainbow colored promotional posters, I think everyone was expecting something a bit more *sunshine, sparkles, and happiness!!* [in other words, something pretty darn gay...in a silly, good way of course, as alice nine. is wont to do]. However, the pv is still filled with strangeness, as to be expected from alice nine. (although it's nowhere near the level of the 'Blue Planet' pv)...Shou is sporting a ridiculous, but familiar-looking pair of glasses *cough*KanyeWest'sStronger*cough*, there are random treadmills in a sort of fashion runway made of light boxes, and it looks like Shou's t-shirt has DJ Ozma on the front. ^_^; The stuttering effect sometimes put on their motion kind of bothers me though...it looks odd and awkward.
Basically, the pv kinda makes me laugh while simultaneously feeling like this: o_0, but I actually like the song better than some of their previous releases. alice nine. are continuing to use electronic sounds in a nice way and the fact that pretty much every member had a little solo was cool (Hiroto and Saga's end solos were my favorites). I think Shou's singing has gotten a bit smoother, although he seems to still need some work on his pitch and such...that sudden high note towards the end of the song was a bit weird. Anyways, overall 'Rainbows' has a catchy, polished sound and is a good step forward for alice nine.