Interview with an ex-visual kei record executive

[lucasreis]

I agree with the people saying that its not just a Japanese Music Business thing/problem but rather something that applies to the popular music industry in general.

Just to add on a side note: In the anime/manga Beck:Mongolian Chop Squad this problem is a major plot point. Its not just something that is Visual Kei specific but popular music in general.

Dude, Beck is easily the best anime I watched from this decade. Very entertaining!!

 

[signalgrey]

I like Diru....its funny that GaZette was the off shoot. Cause i dont mind them either but its interesting to see how things work.

 

[Rogueleader]

There are people that like music where a focal point is bandmates kissing one another?

I had never even heard of this kind of music, if I wanted to hear a couple of these songs whats a good starting point.

 

[JohnIce]

There are people that like music where a focal point is bandmates kissing one another?

I had never even heard of this kind of music, if I wanted to hear a couple of these songs whats a good starting point.

This is X Japan, the drummer/pianist is Yoshiki, the "big boss" talked about in the interview.




Here's Dir En Grey, one of the "roadies turned bands" talked about, and now one of the biggest japanese bands internationally:



The GazettE, allegedly an offshoot band of Dir en Grey:



These are on the heavier side though, and I really like both Diru and GazettE. Very diverse music. What you'd usually associate with mass-produced Visual Kei music, is more something like this I'd assume:


It's a huge genre though, and as the interview axplains, new bands come ang do almost on a daily basis. So here are some unassorted bands from different styles, all within the "VK" realm.

 

[signalgrey]

Filth in the Beauty is decent radio rock track.

 

[sicstynine]

Ohh this sounds so~ familiar...!
i remember, back in my "active vk time", when PS Company signed all those VK-Bands like Sug, Kurt, Alice 9 and so on - they all looked and sounded like a Gazette ripoff and everyone was like

Thanks for the Interview - its really interesting...the whole "Fan & Fantasy, Parties..." part is hilarious!
The Roadie Chain is cool too. Didn't one guy of Girugamesh used to be a Kagerou Roadie? What a lucky bastard...

 

[Daggorath]

Good article, revealing for sure. I'd like to read something more western orientated.

 

[-mouse-]

I think this begs the question... Were dir en grey metal the whole time, but forced to be VK during their early days?

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Ohh this sounds so~ familiar...!
i remember, back in my "active vk time", when PS Company signed all those VK-Bands like Sug, Kurt, Alice 9 and so on - they all looked and sounded like a Gazette ripoff and everyone was like

Thanks for the Interview - its really interesting...the whole "Fan & Fantasy, Parties..." part is hilarious!
The Roadie Chain is cool too. Didn't one guy of Girugamesh used to be a Kagerou Roadie? What a lucky bastard...

Agreed with Sug, Kurt and Alice Nine.

How long did it take for you to put the gear on and off before a gig?

I think this begs the question... Were dir en grey metal the whole time, but forced to be VK during their early days?

In a recent Kerrang interview, Kyo and Kaoru stated that as LaSadies, they were more of a "unlistenable" noise band than anything else. And by the time they released and toured Guaze, they were playing in big arenas right away. But then again, Kyo was extremely evasive in that interview so who really knows.

Also, Dir En Grey still had VK elements up until right before Marrow of a Bone. Nowadays all of that is gone. Though the fangirls still talk about Toshiya's hair.

 

[ry_z]

Nowadays all of that is gone. Though the fangirls still talk about Toshiya's hair.

It really is a shame that the industry is so exploitative. I like the bands I do for the music (though I'll admit I can get a tiny bit fangirlish at times ), but I do absolutely love the fashion of a lot of these VK and post-VK bands. It's just so much more interesting than typical Western men's clothing.

/derail

 

[Amiro]

The article mentions how a lot of the bands are thrown together boyband style and a lot of them don't know anythong about music etc. but i have to say that i've seen a lot of guitarists in VK bands that have great chops. So i guess some really do take it seriously.

 

[troyguitar]

I like the outfits. It's as if hair metal never lost popularity and just kept getting more and more ridiculous. If only people in this country were that open minded regarding fashion...

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

The article mentions how a lot of the bands are thrown together boyband style and a lot of them don't know anythong about music etc. but i have to say that i've seen a lot of guitarists in VK bands that have great chops. So i guess some really do take it seriously.

Then again, Davey Jones has been doing this for over half a decade now.

With the exception of a selected some, a lot of the VK guys just rip off Sugizo and Hide anyway, both musically and stylistically with moderate success.

And I've actually bought some clothes off Yellow House...

 

[Amiro]

Then again, Davey Jones has been doing this for over half a decade now.

With the exception of a selected some, a lot of the VK guys just rip off Sugizo and Hide anyway, both musically and stylistically with moderate success.

Yeah that's true There's a lot of those "wailing" sugizo style solos and the whole "hit an easy powerchord while in a weird stance" type of things

 

[Shinto]

This video makes a lot more sense now... thanks for sharing Amiro.
The article doesn't change one bit what I think of all of Versailles' band members though.

 

[ry_z]

This video makes a lot more sense now...

VERJAPANSAILLES.

Also, yeah. I'm still a huge Versailles fan.

 

[Shinto]

I mean, how can you not laugh at this?

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

Then you have Nightmare (allready a hard working band as it is) doing this:

 

[ry_z]

I mean, how can you not laugh at this?

Oh fuck, Hizaki goes crabcore at 1:03.

 

[Andromalia]

That said, Yoshiki is an awesome drummer.