The J-Music Lovers' International Assembly

[Ryusenkai]

 

Will there be a PV?

 

 

Yeah - teaser was put out earlier today, with the full version going up next week.  It basically looks like the single's promo picture (Doc's sig), so suuuuper 80s.

 

http://playit.pk/watch?v=TFpcZk-8_Ig

 

Their single is trash.

 

Edited October 20, 2016 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

I've been listening to Yellow Tape 2 a lot this past week.

 

 

 

I also need to finish illion's new album. I haven't made it past the 3rd track yet.

 

That's an album you just need to sit with for a while ("P.Y.L"), since it grew on me immensely on repeat listens.

 

In other news, returning to Negoto's "VISION" since they have a new EP out next month - lead track was produced by the BOOM BOOM SATELLITES' bassist and sounds like a pretty slick mix of both of their sounds.  Excited to hear what the rest of the CD sounds like.

[Ryusenkai]

I actually liked it on my first listen. I kept getting distracted so I had to stop listening to it and finished it today. lol "85" is probably my favorite after 1 listen.

 

I don't think I've ever listened to Negoto before, but that sounds interesting. I also listened to Fredrick's album today and that was nice. A lot of interesting sounds going  on. Same for P.Y.L.

 

I liked it at first as well, though ended up loving it upon a good few re-listens.  I really appreciate that "P.Y.L" actually IS a natural progression from "UBU", even if it didn't seem like it would be at first.  It's a... rather sobering album when it comes to tone; I'd be tempted to call it 'dark', but it strikes me that it's less that and more that it has something to say.  Noda's said that his main foci with it were rhythmic songwriting and digital recording methods, and I think that shows through.  I've liked "85" ever since I first heard the live version - think it, "Wander Lust", and "Strobo" are my personal favorites.

 

Oh, you can take a listen to a preview for the lead track here:  http://recochoku.jp/song/S1003716193/

[Ryusenkai]

I feel like Radwimps just got lucky having a tie in.

 

That's true of a lot of songs that have gotten big in the last few years though.  From "Umi no Koe" (au CM song; those CMs have gotten a huge amount of press), to tracks like "Christmas Song" and "Kimi ga Kureta Natsu" (Getsu9 themes, though that slot is weakening somewhat this year) and "Nijiiro" and "365 Nichi no Kami Hikouki" (Asadora themes), to ONE OK ROCK's "Wherever you are" (which was revived by being picked up for a Docomo CM), to "Tomo yo ~Kono Saki mo Zutto..." and "Mirai" (movie/anime themes).  Tie-ins are part of a song's promotional strategy.  The tie-ins aren't totally responsible in all cases, obviously (I think "Christmas Song" and "SUN" had high chances to break out regardless of what they were tied to, though being associated with dramas definitely helped get them into the public consciousness), but they do play an important role in the overall process. 

 

Still, you can't "make" people like a song, no matter how hard you try to set things up - there's always going to be that spark that you have to hope kicks things off so all of your other promotion will matter.

[Ryusenkai]

Songs >>>> the artist/vocals themselves...

Everyone loves that Asadora song that AKB song but no one really respects their voices (except for that one member who sings the first line)

Not that I'm discrediting RADWIMP's voices because they're good, but I fell in love with covers of the song but not so much RADWIMPs version

 

I think there's more permeability there than you might expect for certain acts (Kana and currently Hoshino Gen come to mind as artists whose names matter).  And "respect" really has nothing to do with a song catching on and becoming popular or not.  For the most part, it's kind of unrelated to enjoyment.

 

From what I've read around the grapevine, a lot of people in Japan who like "Zen Zen Zense" really like the lyrics and how fun it is to sing at karaoke (which is another metric that's actually rather important to a song's success, per JASRAC data).  Being the "Kimi no Na wa" theme got it out to a far wider audience than it would have reached otherwise, but it didn't make either of those aspects any more or less true.  "Kaze Tachinu" didn't catapult Matsutoya Yumi's "Hikoukigumo" back into Reco's Top 20 for the year, for example (though I'll concede that there are somewhat different circumstances surrounding older songs).

 

 

So whether or not this bribing sandal is true or not (it probably is), there definitely won't be an LDH act winning the JRA this year.

Who would even win it this year? Have their been any songs that would really warrant the award? Is it going to be Radwimps?

 

Actually had a conversation about this rather recently - the names I recall being brought up were RADWIMPS, Hoshino Gen, and Utada.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

What is Nishino Kana hit this year? I thought Torisetsu was 2015

 

It was, and... she doesn't really have a huge hit this year.  "Anata no Suki na Tokoro" and "Have A Nice Day" both went Gold, but that's relatively weak by her standards.  "Dear Bride" is looking to be her worst charting song since "We Don't Stop", so I can't imagine it'll do more than Gold either, if that.

[Ryusenkai]

Then why are people bringing her up as the possible JRA winner? I'm perplexed. I hope Rads win.

 

There's a comment in arama's LDH-bribery article saying that the JRA panel has a panel of 15 voters and the process is very shaddy (as expected). Burning person is one of them and is endorsing Kana as their winner this year.

 

Namely because of her historically strong set of nominations (though I think they're overlooking a couple of years in the early '10s) and because of that remark about Burning favoring her.  Now that all of this has broken out, I expect the plan to change and either "Zen Zen Zense" or "Umi no Koe" to win.  My gut is saying the latter; I hadn't brought it up before since I wasn't sure if they would actually nominate the song, given that it technically came out in December of last year (past the cut-off date for last year's JRA, but before the start of this year).  Honestly, either of those two tracks would be a justifiable (and therefore safe) choice though, so I suppose we'll see.

[Ryusenkai]

Apologies for the extremely late reply, I'm not used using the forums so posts can get past me without my notice. It's embarrassing to reply 4 weeks later but I'll make due my reply.

 

In any case, I'm probably in the same vein as you in terms of taste. I'm glad to have met someone who appreciates SAS, B'z and Mr.Children. The latter I also have appreciation for. Although I love all three, I personally put B'z above the other two just because their discography is more consistent for my tastes. 

 

Yes, I am aware of Kuwata's solo works. I actually have recently went through Kuwata past works stretching back into the 1980's with fresh ears and loved every song from the happy-go-lucky "Just a Man in Love" to the bluegrass-esque "Tsuki" and my personal favourite "Namonori Johnny", of course "Yoshiko-san" was the quirky one that stands out from the rest of his discography thus far and "Taiga no Itteki" simply ticks all my boxes.

 

As far B'z's "Fukiarenasai", you have no idea how excited I am for it. I hardly ever disapprove when Matsumoto Tak decides to take a different turn on their music, it almost always works. Is there any news about it's release?

 

 

It's fine!  Honestly, I remember it being a bit of a thing to get used to when I first joined this kind of board aeons back.  Anywho, I can understand the musical preference, since B'z honestly do a really great job of bringing an energy and vitality to their music that's remained undimmed over the years.  My own preference for Mr.Children has a lot to do with just how much I enjoy their take on rock, combined with a love of well-written, incisive lyrics, which Sakurai can provide in spades.  SAS, meanwhile, has a lot to do with how they seem to blend older styles with newer production techniques and quirks that ensure their music remains current even now.

 

Which is of course also true of Kuwata's solo material, as is his fascinating method of lyrical construction (the way he uses English words at certain junctures to work with the rhythm of a song has always been something I've appreciated).  "Naminori Johnny" and "Shiroi Koibitotachi" are a couple personal favorites of mine as well, though I'll always have a soft spot for "Itsuka Dokoka de (I Feel the Echo)", since it was the first song of his that I heard.  "Yoshiko-san" I like because of just how out there it sounds, which is always refreshing to find anywhere in the music industry; as to "Taiga no Itteki", the chamber-music influences there really do work, I think.  Or at least they do for me.  Though "Kimi e no Tegami" sounds like it's a bit more of a "by the numbers" song for him (which isn't really a bad thing), I'm still curious to see what the single will end up sounding like as a body of work, since Kuwata's always been remarkably good on that side of things.

 

Unfortunately, no announcement yet, though I'm kind of holding out for a surprise digital release around the time "Shippu Rondo" ends up in theaters.  Between "Fukiarenasai" and "Sekai wa Anata no Iro ni Naru" though, I've a feeling that I'm going to enjoy B'z' next studio release a fair bit more than I did "EPIC DAY", which honestly just never clicked with me for some reason.  I think perhaps because I was expecting something different and was never really able to reconcile that fact with what the album actually was.  Still, it's not as though it's the first time I've pushed through an album I wasn't a fan of from I act I was (looking at you "[(an imitation) blood orange]"), so I'm still excited, if with more measured expectations this time.

Edited November 1, 2016 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

I just read that arama comment and wow. O_O!!!

 

http://aramajapan.com/news/music/concert/nikkei-entertainment-releases-its-concert-mobilization-power-ranking-for-2016/66614/#more-66614

 

the top comment here

 

FrozenSoul knows her stuff and always has, which is why I'm always glad to see a comment from her show up in a post like that.  Really helps to contextualize things a lot.

[Ryusenkai]

I'm not gonna continue posting in there. i told people to check that post. Whether or not they do is up to them. But it was an eye-opening comment for sure. i never knew :0

 

I've known that the ranking is based on maximum capacity for a few years now, though was really interesting to get to dig into the Japanese ticket buying process a bit more, since I'll admit to only having limited knowledge about that.  Usually what I end up doing after this gets posted is some digging into whether or not I think a couple acts could have really sold out their shows, since that's the intriguing bit really.

Edited November 5, 2016 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

Some are speculating that the JRA won't even happen now.

 

JRA stuff usually ends up appearing next week, or has for the last few years, so we'll find out about that soon enough.

[Ryusenkai]

I'm waiting to see what happens with JRA within this month. If it's true that the media isn't widely reporting the scandal, I just hope JRA still takes things seriously and gave us more diverse nominations at least. (Still can't believe that the only Mr.Children ever won was with Sign)

 

Mr.Children also won in '94 with "innocent world", so they did pick up the Award twice, though I would agree there were other warranted years.  Hopelessly biased insofar as that goes though.     If nothing else, Bunshun did give us an inside look into how the JRA is actually supposed to be run, which has shed a lot of light on their criteria, which I've always wanted to know more about.

[Ryusenkai]

So has the JRA winners/nominations for this year come out (no time to check yet)? Saw Kpop fans tweeting about iKON's Best New Artist nomination and surprise surprise (or not, after the whole Nazi-like uniform scandal), Keyakizaka46 is not nominated.

 

Unless they're nominated in the main category, which also wouldn't be surprising.

 

Literally just finished translating them xD  http://onehallyu.com/topic/429670-winners-and-nominees-for-the-58th-japan-record-awards-announced/

[Ryusenkai]

Back in the saddle, looks like.  How have all of you been for the last couple of weeks? 

[Ryusenkai]

I GOT TO GO TO AN ARASHI CONCERT!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

hbu ^^

 

Good for you!  As for me, pretty good - busy, but good.  Still, had some time to finally sit down and do some writing, which I've really missed recently.

[Ryusenkai]

Discovered Ellegarden today only to find out they haven't been active since 2008.. /crei

 

If you liked what you were hearing from them, maybe check out MONOEYES - it's the more punk project from Ellegarden's singer, though there's also the Hiatus for some more out there stuff, or the guitarist's project Nothing's Carved In Stone for something more alt. rock driven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ryusenkai]

Did you guys know that Taichi Mukai released the best EP of 2016.

 

 

For me, that spot still goes to Nakashima Ko's "TAXIS", though this isn't bad (just not really my thing).

[Ryusenkai]

oh yes TAXIS was a nice release

 

It's ended up high on my year-end album list, since there were very few things I enjoyed or replayed quite as much as that little release.  Wasn't #1 for me, but got pretty darn close. 

[Ryusenkai]

I liked his EP, but I felt like the songs didn't really... musically deviate much from one another.

 

Mmm.  There's a lot of nuance in there, I feel, but I can understand why you'd say that.  The way the lyrics tie in to the music are ultimately a large part of why I think it's so successful, since there aren't that many younger acts that spend a sizable amount of time focusing on that interplay.

[Ryusenkai]

Just realised that OH went back online 2 weeks later than everyone else >.>

 

Is anyone going to watch Kouhaku this year? I normally would like in previous years, but I've been roped into NYE celebrations so I guess that's a personal tradition broken.

 

Any interesting happenings during the OH's shutdown whether it be in the J-POP world or personal stuff?

 

On a musical note, I'm guessing you've seen all the INABA/SALAS stuff that's slowly been trickling out.  That album intrigues me, since based on everything I've heard, it sounds simultaneously very classic rock and yet also very current.  Other than that, enjoying the new Makihara Noriyuki album and INDEEA digital single and still hoping that the new FOLKS' single leaks soon.      Since I'd really like to hear "FIN." in full.

 

How about you?

Edited December 31, 2016 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

Happy New Year from the East Coast!

[Ryusenkai]

I haven't been too invested in the J-Pop scene as of late, just mostly busying myself with taking leave to visit the family for the past week or so and getting my administrative affairs in order.

 

Other than that, I am slowly getting back in the swing of things and making an internal backlog of releases to check out so I'd definitely look out for the ones you've suggested. I am particularly looking forward to the Makihara Noriyuki album, I haven't heard his recent albums yet i,e Lovable People, but I'd imagine he'd be taking a more Funk Pop type route if Riyuu and Fall were any indication of his recent works.

 

Although I'd normally be the last to discover up and coming bands until they become relevant, but I'm really digging Suchmos musical output. STAY TUNE is that gate-way song. I'd always wondered what Acid-Jazz would sound like, I guess I know now  .

.

What's your take on the new Misuchiru single? Sonically, I like the marching band elements to their trademark Pop-rock. No doubt this will be a hit with the asadora tie-in on top of it. I'm just glad they're releasing again at any rate.

 

and a Happy New Year to you too!

 

Mmm.  Can understand that - that's what most of the week before Christmas was for me.  This past week was essentially me starting to poke around again and see what I missed, which at that point of the year wasn't very much.

 

"Lovable People" is kind of deceptive in that way, since from what I remember of it the album was very much a callback to his earlier musical works, with "Fall" as more of an outlier.  "Believer" has definitively moved more in that direction though, since it seems to be very much inspired by the sounds that "Riyuu" was exploring.  It ended up being the final entry to my list of favorite albums for 2016, so I can't say that I'm unhappy that he's chosen to do so. 

 

"STAY TUNE" was a grower for me, one that took almost all year for me to really love, but now I adore it and I can't wait for Suchmos' new album ("THE KIDS") later this month.  It's my most anticipated January release (album-wise) along with the INABA/SALAS album ("CHUBBY GROOVE") and the ent album ("ELEMENT") due out in a week or so.

 

As to "Hikari no Atelier", I quite like it (not much of a surprise there).  The marching band-esque drums remind me a lot of "Hana no Nioi", despite coming off as far more cheery in this particular context.  Also nice to see the accordion make a return, since it's been a spell since they've used it in a mainline song - since "Kurumi", I think.  The vocal layering with Sakurai's voice is something that they actually haven't played with all that much, so I'm wondering if we'll see more of that in their output in the future.  Based on this song, I'm expecting their next album to be a softer and more lilting companion to "REFLECTION".  The "HOME" to its "I LOVE U", I suppose.

Edited January 1, 2017 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

New FOLKS single has pretty much allayed all of my fears about them going indie, since both songs honestly sound great.  *replays for the umpteenth time*

[Ryusenkai]

@Ryu i listened to Alexandros' EXISTS! Not sure how much i liked it. There was some decent songs and I like how they sound and the instrumentation but kinda wish they'd stick to japanese so i wouldn't understand their pop lyrics that i don't care for. It became a turnoff. Like i was listening to some 2000's western alternative band. 

 

The lyrics are largely the reason why that album didn't rank higher for me last year, since while I enjoyed the listen, they definitely detract from the overall product.  Once or twice I could find it a tiny bit charming, but as much as they do it, it's... more than a little cringey.  Which is a shame, since musically they do a lot of interesting stuff.

Edited January 18, 2017 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

Wakita Monari is solo now and basically has the same sound anyway. So Especia fans could just move onto her. 

 

 

 

 

Yea. I also listened to the Blue Encount album today and i feel the same way about them.

 

I can't get into Blue Encount at all, despite trying.  And I've been lukewarm to the new Mrs. GREEN APPLE record as well; it isn't bad, but I feel that they might have went a little more pop than I was expecting with this one.  Suppose I'll have to rely on Koshi Inaba to provide me with a great album this month (I've at least liked all of the previews I've heard off of "CHUBBY GROOVE"; now if only it would leak >_>).

 

Unrelated, but this is also apparently a thing now: