It seems that things have kinda come to a standstill in the Japanese indie/rock world, because there haven't been any really big releases that have attracted any real attention....unless I've missed something big. (Please tell me if I have.) I'll probably start writing reviews about old music that I think is worth a word from me. But at the moment, I'm going to muse about some things that are in my head that have to do with Japanese musical entertainment.
alice nine.
This doesn't really qualify as a new release, but it's probably the newest thing out. (Expect a review of the single when it arrives.) alice nine. have been going down the pop-rock track quite a bit, and it's quite a departure from their once-quite-indie sound, much more polished and consistent. Some people complain about this, but I don't really have a big problem with it - what's wrong with mainstream?
This sounds no different, although I can't make out much of the song from the 30 seconds we are shown. As for the PV itself, it has that little J-rockers jumping around in water thing going on, much like Blade Chord from Abingdon School Boys. I could say a lot about what I think about alice nine., but I'm going to leave it at that.
X Japan
I look at L'arc~en~ciel, who have enjoyed a good 15 years together, and who are almost 40, and then take a glance at X Japan, and shake my head.
Laruku have become such a mature band musically, and easily crank out amazing records (a la Radiohead.) The songs they are giving us now are very complex, and the members are very, very proficient at their respective instruments. They have gained so much from their experiences, and had started out with so much talent too. Each of the band members are also established well as solo artists (especially HYDE), and have made a name from themselves as supermusicians. Not to mention how they lost their past drummer due to a drug scandal, and were tore down to nothing. But they still bounced back.
X Japan sadly only spent about 9 REAL years together, and after hide's death, each of the members were moping around, being sad, and not really getting much done. I know that Laruku have equally as much talent as X Japan, and imagine if X had been together these past 10 years. They could be absolutely fantastic! Unfortunately, none of the members have really made a big solo career, and their status as supermusicians have faded over the last 10 years of not being together.
Their latest release, I.V., IS good, but had the band reunited quickly after the death of hide, I am sure that at this point, it would be something much better. I.V. seems to just carry on where they left off (even using a prerecorded guitar track by hide), and doesn't really gain, or lose any ground. Playing it safe.
My point is, that if X Japan hope to enter as big players in the music scene again, rather than as "Yoshiki and sad bandmates", they're going to move past hide at some point, and stop looking back, and moving forward. Yes, losing a bandmate forever is much worse than a drug scandal, and yes, I may sound harsh, (and I assure you I miss hide just as much as all of you out there,) but I know that X Japan have the capacity to be better than they are, if they are able to progress and keep on developing
Moving on....
Questions and other stuff that's on my mind...
This may seem a little off topic, but I just got a pair of Shure E2c earphones, and I was wondering how all you audiophiles out there listen to your music. Earphones? If so, what kind? Through your kabillion dollar speakers?
Anyway, as far as reviews go, I'll probably start reviewing the things that I enjoy listening to, even if they are old. And past releases that I feel I should talk about, as well as music that I don't think is getting enough attention.
And, by the way, I appreciate feedback from people who actually read my blog - questions, comments, thoughts, anything.
~Sho-kun out.