Miko's Declutter Journey: Organizing Cheki

Unboxing: Rarezhut Haul

Most Shocking/Disappointing/WTF Asian Music Moments of 2016

BLOOD STAIN CHILD Members Change...Again
I became aware of BSC's existance when they shared the stage with D at A-Kon 22. This was around the time their second vocalist Sophia joined the group. It was quite unfortunate to hear that she was leaving the group, but she remained active in the music scene and created SEASON OF GHOSTS, which I'll be putting up a concert report up eventually. ^^; They did make an appearance last year with their new vocalist Kiki at Oni-Con...another concert report that's pending. Unfortunately, a few months later, founding member and bassist RYO (also RYU's brother) and vocalist Kiki announced that they will be departing the band for one reason or another. As soon as this was posted on JAME, a new vocalist by the name of SAIKA and bassist Yakky joined the band and they released a new single, NEXUS. Despite the turn over of members, I'll still keep checking out their music and tracking their progression (or regression).


4Minute Disbands
Obviously, this news is not here for its shocking qualities, but more for its disappointing feeling for really the fans. For me, I honestly don't feel nothing towards this news. I do enjoy 4Minute's discography and "Hate" was a pretty banging track. I even enjoyed a couple of HyunA's solo songs from her last mini-album, but I normally enjoy about that same amount even though I don't care for her that much. Whether fans want to admit it or not, I'm sure they weren't that surprise to hear the news that everyone but HyunA renewed their contracts with Cube Entertainment. I mean the amount of publicity and promotion was very unbalanced for quite some time, which is really unfortunate. Whatever the members end up doing, I'll check it out if it presents itself in front of me.


Anzi leaves Matenrou Opera
It also sucks to hear a member leaving a band that's being around/together for more than five years. Despite me not keeping up with Matenrou Opera as much as when they debut, I tried my best to check out their newest PVs and listen to their singles when I had the time. From what I saw, things were looking pretty good and I was pleased with the growth and bond they had. Although, I admit that their sound/concepts felt a little stagnet after a while. Perhaps that was the reasoning behind Anzi's departure. I don't know; that quote just sounds like a fancy way of saying "musical differences". Nonetheless, I wish Anzi and the remaining members the best in 2017.


R-Shitei Banned from Nippon Budokan
Being part of a visual kei (and even just a musical act in Japan), most people's goal is to perform at the grand Nippon Budokan. Unfortunately, for this group, this dream may never happen unless the rules change. Honestly, this article/news appeared in the beginning of the year and I totally forgot about it. Fortunately, I had a link to the article saved to refresh my memory. The reasoning behind the ban was due to the band's inappropriate lyrical content, despite other bands performing similar controversial material on their stage. The article uses the example of Golden Bomber, which I know little about musically, but for me I thought of Dir en grey who have performed there countless times. So, I find it strange that this little band, who apparently is growing big enough for an 88 city tour and booking the stadium, is being denied this dream. Maybe R-Shitei fans can change things and give the band their dream.


DAIGO and Moon Hee Jun Get Married
...but not to each other. On January 11, Keiko Kitagawa announced that she was officially married to BREAKERZ's vocalist DAIGO. I don't actively follow DAIGO outside of BREAKERZ releases and even then I just enjoy the music; I don't go further than that. So, obviously, this was surprising, but good news to hear. Sometimes I wonder (and maybe a little bit of worry) about these older jrockers abstaining from love. On the other hand, they're very good at keeping their private lives private. DAIGO isn't your typical jrock star as he has crossed over to the mainstream, similar to Gackt, but that's old news for Japanese pop culture followers. H.O.T's Moon Hee Jun is someone I've come to accept in my introduction to kpop, in my earlier days. He was the exception of enjoyment for Korean rock and I still am quite fond of him, although I don't follow his activities constantly. Seeing the news on one of my favorite kpop sites, AsianJunkie, caught me off guard like the rest of the readers...except H.O.T fans. While the writer of the article was surprised and happy that the fans didn't rip apart Crayon Pop's Soyul for having a relationship with him, I was surprised no one made a big deal about the age gap (25 & 38), but maybe that's normal in Korea...or I'm just old fashion in some ways. Nonetheless, I wish these happy couples a wonderful and long marriage!


Jin Akanishi, Meisa Kuroki, Daichi Miura and Wife Expecting Children
The expansion of a family is always great news! Since 2012's list, Jin Akanishi and Meisa Kuroki have had rare mention on jpop news sites I follow. When I saw that they were expecting their second child, I was very happy for them. I haven't heard any scandals or rumors about the couple, which is even better. Although I would love to hear more music from the couple, I wish them the best with their marriage and the birth of their second child. Last year was a surprising announcement of Daichi Miura's marriage and now we have even more exciting news that he will be a father! Congratulations to the proud parents!


Dead Children, Sel'm, & HaKU Disband
I know there are other lesser known bands that disbanded this year and I will be mentioning some other slightly more major ones later in this list, but these three in particular are bands that I personally enjoy. So, once again, forgive me if I didn't mention your faves. Dead Children is a band that I wished I listened to more often, but I don't think I have a lot of their music...or maybe they just didn't release a lot of it. Nonetheless, they're a pretty cool little band and I would like to return to them on my iTunes in honor of their accomplishments. Sel'm, on the other hand, was a band I listened to for quite a few years and I remember enjoying and sharing them with my friends. As my library grew and grew, their music did get lost in the shuffle, but I would love to return to their hard, energetic sound and relive my high school days. And then there's HaKU, a non-visual kei band, that displayed a lot of talent for the jrock scene. I got into them at the same time as BLUE ENCOUNT and Jaweye about 3-4 years ago. I was quite surprised to hear that they were disbanding as I feel that non-visual kei bands have a longer shelf life, but I will be treasuring what music I have collected of theirs.


Hyunseung Withdraws From BEAST & BEAST Departs From Cube Entertainment
Since the beginning, I've been a fan of B2ST. I enjoy their sleek choreography and beautiful vocal harmonies. As timed went on, their releases kinda slowed a bit and some of the members dabbled in solo works and of course the most promoted Troublemaker duo with 4Minute's Hyuna. The little news I did hear about them that didn't pertain to their music were just little bits here and there that weren't all that noteworthy...until I saw the handful of posts of Hyunseung's uncaring attitude with his B2ST activities and negative response from fans. For the most part, I kinda shrugged it off as it didn't seem too out of character in my mind, but the unfortunate (or maybe fortunate) occurred when he decided to depart from the group. Unlike the rest of his group mates, he did keep his contract under Cube Entertainment as a solo artist. So, hopefully fans of TroubleMaker will receive more from the duo. On the other hand, B2ST have created Around US Entertainment and remain on good terms with Cube. Hopefully, things weren't too terrible between the rest of the group and Hyunseaung, but I really hope that the group starts to become more consistent with music releases again and perhaps get back on track with being the awesome group I loved when they hit their peak with "Fiction".


GANGLION Indefinite Hiatus
After seeing them live at Oni-Con in 2014, and yes, I'm still going to do a concert report for it, I was excited for this band's future. Much like a lot of female visual kei bands I followed, they seemed to have the making of being the next exist trace or perhaps a band that could make things better than them currently, in my opinion. It was very unfortunate news to see that this young band would most likely be concluding their journey as GANGLION. Of course, I would like to think they will come together once again and rock our worlds with high energy and passion. Nonetheless, whatever they decide to do, I will continue to support them the best I can.


SHOXX Publisher Files Bankruptcy
The magazine that helped make visual kei a household name 26 years ago declared bankruptcy and planned to seize publishing with its brethren Fool's Mate. The publishing company planned to release its final issue with SuG on the cover in September, but...news was released with the renewal of their Twitter account that they'll be back in action in February 2017. How's that for a revival!




chariots and Lycaon Reborn
Ever since I saw Phantasmagoria live for the first time in 2005, I easily fell in love with their music, style, and stage presence. When they disbanded, I was very disappointed, but of course Kisaki wouldn't let go of Riku or the sound of Phantasmagoria. So, we ended up with chariots and Lin -the end of corruption world-...oh, and a bunch of post-Phantasmagoria compilations and DVDs. With the dissolution of UNDER CODE, Kisaki (and probably, Riku) struggled to keep these two bands afloat. So, the inevitable happened with disbandment and members leaving. Chariots has gone from the remnants of UNDER CODE bands to Riku's solo to silence...and then, here we are with the rebirth! I haven't listened to their limited live single, but I'm just excited to hear more of Riku's beautiful and unique voice. Last year, I mentioned that Lycaon, among others, were disbanding and I was very sadden as they were, in my eyes, improving in their sound and presence. Fortunately, the members stayed together to form intial'L. I'm looking forward to checking them out, comparing their old sound to their new style, and just overall enjoying them as a group again.


MY BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND Becomes TenTen's Solo Project
Similar to chariots to some extent, I've been following TenTen since his KuRt days and tried to keep up with his various bands and projects, but it becomes quite difficult when his musical track record falls into the annoying pattern of Kisaki's band history. *sighs* Nonetheless, I was sad to hear that all the members left the band and left TenTen behind. So, it seems that he has decided to turn this into a solo project and rename it to "Re:My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND". Of course, he can't do it alone; he has to have some sort of support and he does. Whether these new members are simply on a trial basis to become permanent or not, I look forward to seeing how things will transition from band to solo and hearing TenTen's unusual vocals once more as well as his new band LACK-CO..


MeteoroiD Disbands
I was fortunate enough to see this band at Tokyo in Tulsa and I was very pumped to hear more of their music in the coming year. It was very shocking for me to hear that they would be disbanding. As a new fan, it kinda hits hard when the memories of seeing them live, meeting them, and creating awesome memories just to have that moment cut short with disbandment. I really hope the members find what they're looking for musically and reappear in the visual kei scene, because they're all very talented people.


Jia Departs From miss A
Contract expiration dates can be a nerveracking time for serious kpop fans and I find it interesting that such things are so public to the media and fans, but I guess that leaves the surprise of non-renewals to a minimum to some extent. Miss A is a group that I've loved since the beginning, but their video for "Only You" was quite underwhelming. It was inevitable that JYP's lack of attention would affect another talented group, but remained supportive of Jia's decision. Fortunately, Jia didn't waste anytime debuting as a solo artist and I'm looking forward to seeing my bias continue to do what she loves.


Lynch.'s Akinori's Arrest
In November, it was reported that lynch.'s bassist Akinori was arrested for "antisocial activity", which I (and many others in the visual kei community) honestly read as marajuana possession...or something related to the drug. While I'm not completely sure if I read somewhere confirming that that was the case, but Akinori was very cooperative with authorities and removed himself from the band. Hazuki, the vocalist, did comment on the situation and the band decided to cancel future activities and go on hiatus. Most importantly, they assured fans that they will return to their usual band activities.


BABYMETAL Train Still Going Strong
Like it or not, this trio of young ladies are still rocking our world. They started the year off strong with the release of their second full length album, their first North American tour, and making their debut appearance on The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend any of the shows, but I heard for the most that it was a big success. Hopefully, that'll lead to more U.S. tour dates (y'know, somewhere closer to me =X). It was recently announced that they will be opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica on their respective tours/shows. Hopefully, the metal world will come to accept them in the same manner of respect as Rob Zombie. I look forward to more groundbreaking accomplishments from this group in 2017 and perhaps a break for them as well. I mean...they're still kids.


Dio - distraught overlord's Revival
From time to time disbanded bands will reunite for special occasions on a temporary basis. Even though I cannot attend any of these revival lives, it still excites me to see all the members come together on one stage and bring the passion and energy to their fans through their music. After their disbandment, I tried my best to keep track of all the members. I believe Kei retired from music, so there was no way to find out what he was up to. Mikaru put together BLACK LINE with Denka and did some solo activities under G.L.A.M.S, which included photography pieces I believe. Ivy joined Moran and is now currently in LACK-CO.. And Erina, I can only think of him being in VII-Sense until they decided to disband, but I feel like I'm forgetting something. Anyway, B7Klan was celebrating their 10th anniversary and the band, along with Dirtrunks, came together for a European tour. They also planned a limited revival in Japan and released a single. With a musical release, I hoped that this would be a full revival, but sadly I think this may be temporary. Nonetheless, I look forward to checking out LACK-CO. and more of Mikaru's solo work.


Lolita23q Come Out of Hiatus
Well, this is a name I haven't used since 2012 when the band announced their indefinite hiatus. I thought 2012 would be the end for them and I would just have to enjoy them separately, which was fine. I still have to listen to LOUD GRAPE, even though they disbanded in 2016. When I first saw the news, I thought it was simply a limited revival situation like many bands before, especially since Ryosuke's solo project WING WORKS gained great momentum and the original vocalist Sou was back on board. Upon reading and rereading this post, it looks like this is an actual comeback for the band to their original form. I'm really looking forward to what they have in store for us, but I also hope that Ryosuke and Ryuto don't burn themselves out between bands either.


BORN Disbands
BORN was band that I happened to stumble across at the right moment, because it was not too long before they announced their appearance at Oni-Con in Houston. The band has undergone so many changes over the years with each other from constant name changes, moving to a major label, and losing a member. Nonetheless, they continued to push on and create more music for their fans. I was devastated and even a bit unsurprised by the announcement. What was really depressing was hearing Ryouga being unmotivated and as much as I love that man it makes me want to cry and hug him. At the same time, Ray announced that BORN will be his final band. Fortunately, news appeared that Ryouga and some other familiar faces in the scene joined together to create RAZOR, which I'm looking forward to checking out. Hopefully, we will see K and Tomo appear in a new band some time soon.


D=OUT Leaves PS Company
It's another year of someone escaping PS Company and it seems like their roaster is getting smaller and smaller. Yes, it seems as though Kouki and the gang are taking the solo and band activities elsewhere and I'm stoked to see their style evolving even further. I've seen so much good after previous bands have left and even a few experimentations that were hit or miss. Nonetheless, I feel like the band can breath with their creativity and not become Kagrra, 2.0.


2NE1 Disbands
This was the year of CL and everyone knew it and was ready for it. As a former CL bias fan, I was both skeptical and a bit optimistic for her debut in the U.S. Although, I wasn't quite fond of majority of her material. While it was catchy, fun, and full of energy on stage, the quality was lacking. Time and time again YG teased BlackJacks with the promise of a comeback and even brought them together for 2015's MAMAs. But with all the focus on CL's endeavors, I'm guessing Minzy knew she could do so much better with her talent. It was a sad day for BlackJacks to hear that their fiery dancer was departing. I was saddened, but not completely surprised. YG continued to state that 2NE1 were coming back as a trio, but with much silence from the group and a lot of push for CL's first American tour, it wasn't surprising to see that 2NE1 was no more. It's really unfortunate how their fate was such a slow pull of a band-aid, but I really hope that Minzy and Dara (and I guess Bom) continue their journey in music.


Girugamesh and SCREW Disband
After twelve years of great music, memories, and just full on love, Girugamesh announced after their European tour that they would be disbanding. This news was very surprising for many, especially for myself. Their latest release felt like a return to their roots of their first and second albums and I was quite pumped to this growth and perhaps more experimentation with their sound. But here we are. Fortunately, one member, the band's drummer Яyo, is staying in the music scene through YouTube, which is pretty interesting and mesmerizing to watch. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the other members to resurface on the music scene and maybe a reunion appearance in the U.S. For many visual kei fans, hearing SCREW's disbandment around the same time made them skeptical whether the genre was dying or not. More disheartening than surprising, seeing the news of their disbandment seemed very unfortunate to me as I felt like the band never got to reach their full potential, especially under PS Company. Maybe if they had the chance to go to elsewhere, their music career would last a little longer and they would be able to grow more. But maybe there was more to it than the little I know as a fan/outsider. Nonetheless, just because these two bands who have been around for 10 years or more, it doesn't mean that visual kei is dead. #ResurrectVK


RAVE's Mikuru Passes Away
The really crappy part of these lists is including the decease. While I'm still a relatively new fan of RAVE, it was sad to see that one of their members departed from earth. Apparently, the guitarist had went on break to recover from an undisclosed illness. For now, it seems like the band has pushed forward despite the unfortunate situation and have released new material. RAVE have also announced a new album for 2017 while keeping the spirit of Mikuru's talent and passion laced through their music. I wish the remaining members luck for the new year and blessings on Mikuru's loved ones.

Recommended Music Videos: Anti-Valentine's Edition

I'm a little late. I'd intended to get this up yesterday, but here it is. As with the last entry, please think of it as something silly. Enjoy the music for what it is. I hope everyone had a good day whether you had a valentine or not. Remember to tell the people you care about that you love them today! It might just brighten the day of a friend who needs that little pick-me-up!

If any of you remember the song 'In Vain', Hizumi was more than ready to dominate you with sex. I don't think he's quite ready for that commitment ladies. However, you can always use your submissive side to your advantage and try to win him over. Proceed with caution. I bet he likes whips and bondage.

The ladies of miss A aren't ready for a man to take care of them. In fact, they don't need one. Trying your luck with these independant ladies might hurt your pride when you attempt to pay for the dinner bill. I know, I know. These girls aren't the typical Korean type you're used to. If you want a girl to whine and act cute rather than take care of herself, you're looking in the wrong place. 

In order to get Yuuki to settle down and stop showing off his thong, you're going to have to tie him up. That might not even help your situation though. Try taking away his access to devices with cameras. You'd better be prepared for a long fight with this one. It's going to be an uphill battle. 

Jui isn't quite ready to settle down. He's having a bit too much fun hanging out with Jun. Keep a watch on your heart. Those pretty boys may try to seduce you with just a look. Be extra careful with your virtues around these two!

Not all vampires are out to draw you into an eternal love affair like Asagi. Jin is more of the type to draw you in and seduce what he needs from you. Don't worry. You'll love every minute of the attention that he'll give you before leaving your bed cold. 

Ryouga and his friends aren't ready to fall in love right now. Let yourself explore desire and see where it'll lead you. It may not end up giving you a half naked woman with a giant bug. Whatever it leads you to, enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Byou's ready to star in your personal fantasy. He's brought you a rose. Everything is all set and ready. Climb onto your bed and relax. Before you know it, you'll have slipped into that fantasy world where he's waiting for you. When you wake up, he'll be on to the next fangirl that's waiting for him.

When Ikuma decided to spend time with the beautiful vampire, Exo-chika, I doubt he knew what would be waiting for him. Follow her into the world of darkness that she's led Ikuma into. This is a world of sin. Liberate yourself from your fears. Hold onto the hope that you can keep them both when the sun rises again.

G-Dragon isn't expecting any relationship with you to last. He's ready for you to break his heart. This is your chance to prove him wrong. Can you do what others haven't? Show him that you won't hurt him and maybe, just maybe, he won't run in the end.

Proceed with caution with these ladies. Loving one might be exciting. Wronging one could leave you with more than just a woman scorned. It could end with your untimely death in the end. If you're willing to take the risk, then you might get what you want in the end. One mistake and...too late for you.

Top 13 Recommended Music Videos

"Bones" by Rose Noire
I'm so glad Kiwamu hasn't ditched these talented musicians. Sometimes it's just nice to listen to some melodic, haunting vocals accompanied by some beautiful violin. This is definitely a step up production wise for these two and I hope they get more backing this year with their music. They're sadly underrated and exude so much talent.



"SOMEBODY WANTS DAYS YOU CLOSE" by NOISEMAKER
After "PLATINUM SHOES", I was thrilled to see something new from this band and it was equally, if not as, incredible than what I heard before. The title of the song doesn't really make sense to me grammatically, but I'm willing to ignore it. The setting reminds me of P.O.D video and shares some small similarities to it. This is definitely a memorable, emotional effort from this band and I am anxious to listen to this new mini-album.



"Cheeky Ren" by DALATH
I must admit that I was confused by watching this the first time. I thought it was another all female band, but it wasn't. I was a little disappointed, but I kept listening and ended up liking what they had to offer. It's a simple concept and reminded me of old Girugamesh visually. The vocals aren't extremely clear, but they are tolerable and quite good for what it's worth. I'm hoping to hear more from this band in the future.



"愛國革命" by R-shitei
I don't think I've ever mentioned this band on this site, but I've been following them since they were called Catheline. Anyway, this is a totally new direction and it still manages to suit their upbeat, slightly dark style. It's a very high energy song and the visuals are interesting. They can be a little overwhelming, but your eyes get used to the over use of white. The only odd part for me is the dubstepish dance break that reminds me of SuG and xTRiPx.



"Take My Chance" by DOLL$BOXX
Remember Acid Black Cherry's "SPELL MAGIC"? Well, this video is just like that. The girls play with the stereotypes of cutesy girls and lonely male otaku audiences, then flips it around to blow the crowd away with an epic rock sound. The vocals are very strong and I always admire when a drummer does back-up vocals well. It has a playful, but decently hard fun sound. I'm looking forward to hearing these girls' first full length album.



"BEZOARSTEIN" by Megamasso
I think its been a while since I posted anything by these guys, but they have progressively gotten better and better with each release. This PV further proves my point. The band shows off some intense attitude, emotion, and passion. The transitions are smooth and share their signature style they've carried throughout the years. It's hard to believe that it's possible for them to continue to exceed my expectations with each release. Keep it up!



"and Cry" by JAWEYE
A friend introduced me to this band through this PV and I'll give a warning that there's a lot of flashing lights in this video. So, if you're sensitive to that, then this isn't a good video for you to watch. It's a a simple blue-greyish tone PV that's very band centric. It has some cool slow motion moments and plays with the simplistic set to make it interesting for the viewer. The music is energetic and you can definitely rock out to it in your bedroom. I'm thankful I was introduced to them.



"HALO" by BLUE ENCOUNT
With JAWEYE came my ventures off to more amazing non-visual artists. This is another simplistic, band centric video. It might seem boring, but I like the lighting they chose for this video. It's almost as if the members are merely shadows playing instruments, but you can clearly see them excluding their faces. The song is quite upbeat and kinda has this pseudo-college rock feel, perhaps. It's familiar, but fresh. Forgive me for having a hard time explaining their sound, but it's good!



"sympathy" by KEYTALK
I think I have a little easier time describing this one. The sound reminds me of a more upbeat Plastic Tree without the wispy vocals. It's a fun song and you'll have a hard to resisting those lalala's. The PV is quite artsy and clever. Lots of geometric shapes, play on colors, and doesn't distract you from the overall feel of the song. It's definitely a nice feel good song of sorts.



"二時二分" by Suck a Stew Dry
Unlike the previous non-visual bands above, I couldn't quite hook myself into these guys. Please don't let that discourage you from checking out this PV though. I have my reasons for posting it, like other videos where I didn't care for the group. The song is quite simple throughout the verses and has a nice storytelling feel to it, then the power hits near the chorus. The visuals are once again band centric, but they nicely compliment the storytelling aspect with handwriting, scribbles, doodles, and a pink/purple color tint.



"moody pavilion" by mudy on the 昨晩
Another non-visual band that didn't quite stick to me, but I really like this song. It's kinda eerie, especially with that upside down body floating in the middle of the room. There's a lot of eerie atmosphere actually and some interesting artistic moments with color splashes and falling pieces as the band plays. It's intense and very easy to lose yourself in that you completely forget that there's no lyrics. It also feels too short as well, but still strangely satisfying.



"Sweetest vengeance" by Pay money To my Pain
I'm still trying to figure out how I missed this track, but it's great. It's chaotic and mosh worthy. It has some nice melodic moments and the visuals are just as chaotic and mesmerizing. Watching it now makes my heart melt for more reasons than one. I'm hoping K recovers soon and rests up for more energetic, aggressive, and emotion filled songs like this.



"Mayaku" by Lycaon
Another PV that I have no idea how I missed, especially since I've listened to the single. It's a simple band centric video, but it speaks volumes. Yuuki is absolutely beautiful in this and you can feel the emotion from his voice. I'm glad that theykept this so simple visually, because the music fills in all the important gaps for the viewer to lose themselves in. Also, Satoshi's solo is amazing!

Promo: Lycaon

[from left to right] Satoshi (guitar), Hiyuu (bass), Yuuki (vocals), & Rito (guitar)
|Official Site|


Joining together as a five member band, Lycaon came out with a strong alternative metal sound and equally strong visuals that highlighted each members' distinct personalities. Not too long ago, they released their first full length album, Royal Order, in 2010. Unfortunately, two of the members wasn't happy with the softer direction change and decided to depart. This didn't stop the band from experimenting with their sound and visuals, which has made them grow in the new direction.

I believe a close friend introduced me to the wonders of Lycaon. Their sound, visuals, and concepts are amazing and continue to evolve over the years. They have been a little silent lately, but they're slowly making a return on the scene and I can't help but be stunned by nearly every release. Their latest PV for "Mask" stopped my heart by the natural energy, band chemistry, clever camera work, and overwhelming sex appeal, especially if you watch Hiyuu's interview. With a few j-indies bands I personally enjoy falling prey to the dreaded "d" word, I'm hoping that Lycaon stays strong for years and years.

Quick Music Review

VII-Sense - The Reminiscence of War (2011, Japan) | Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Be Sacrificed, Shattered Sky, Proudia

I was already pleased with the direction this band was going and I didn't realize they could get any better. "Be Sacrificed" opens up this mini-album very strongly with aggressive guitars and fast drums. Shaura's voice was a bit hit and miss in places, but I enjoyed it and the ending was very Dio-esque [namely this song]. "Shattered Sky" starts off a funky bass solo, then back into that heavy mode, but a little less dark than the first song. It proceeds to lighten up musically a little more into their usual sound. "Sexual Desire" was a pre-released song that has been added for those who missed out. It has a good melody and a couple layers of pretty good vocals with a catchy bass line. Longest track shall be called "Revelations" which opens up with a dramatic piano intro and leads back to heavy guitars and chaotic drumming, like the first track but less Dio-esque. This song mixes elegance and rock very well. "Proudia" ends this mini on a good note with a powerful bass line and amazing guitars coming from left and right. It's the most light song out of all the tracks and makes the listener smile.



Lycaon - Jouyoku no Porno (2011, Japan) | Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Jesus, Jouyoku no Porno, I love sex. I love drugs. I love rock'n'roll.

Let's proceed to another rockin' j-indies band I enjoy and have been pleased with along their musical journey. "Jouyoku no Porno" opens with dramatic sound effects and purely Yuuki's vocals leading you along further into the song. Once the music kicks in, it sounds like a whole new Lycaon is born and continues to you lure further in, especially with the dual vocal layering. "Jesus" is a more upbeat song that'll keep you bouncing all around the room. It has a bit of a generic visual kei sound, but you can tell that Yuuki still has his signature vocals that make the band stand out from the rest. The next track takes a more jazz rock sound similar to Nightmare in some ways. It still maintains a fun vibe and was a good experimental sound for them, although I wouldn't want them to stick to that forever. Bringing back those seductive tones with whispers and a strong bass line, we have "I love sex. I love drugs. I love rock'n'roll." This track is what makes this mini a winner. It has an amazing bassline, the guitar shines, and the arrangement is genius vocally and musically. A heart beats as it brings in the next track to this mini. I suppose the band hasn't done anything slowish, so this is it. I'm not particularly crazy about it, but it's alright to hear something different from them again on one CD. "Time Enough for Love" ends on a chaotic, high energy note, which is Lycaon's specialty.



Jui - XI (2011, Japan) | Rating: 2/5
Favorite Tracks: Bang girl, -1

Before listening to this album, I was nervous as I was not completely pleased with Jui's debut PV. The good thing is...he'll never be Gackt, style wise, which is good. I like Gackt a lot, but Jui should do his own thing. Unfortunately, I wasn't very impressed with this album. It was very low tempo. Everything sounded like lounge pop, a weak Vidoll ballad, or horribly autotuned. Jui's lovely voice should never be tampered with! Overall, the album was alright, but I wish there was more. Honestly, most of the tracks could've been produced by Vidoll (perhaps Bastard era-ish). Maybe next time, Jui.



Narsha - Narsha (2010, Korea) | Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Fantastic, Bbi ri bba bba, Queen B

I believe this is Narsha's first solo release and the promotional video definitely made me curious. "Fantastic" is a real bass banger with a smooth dance beat that's easier on the ears (and hips). It sounds very familiar, if American listeners give it a try, and still maintains something fresh in some ways with the simple vocal arrangement. "Bbi ri bba bba" definitely has an unusual name, but it has a quirky sound and catchy chorus that you can't help but repeat yourself. This song gives you a good idea of Narsha's diverse vocal talent. "I'm in Love" slows it down with beautiful acoustic work and a gentle voice that kpop lovers are used to when it comes to lovey dovey ballads. "Queen B" bumps it up a notch with a little funk dance sound that really makes this mini eclectic. "Radio Star" has a little Latin pop flavor and sounds a tad bit generic, but still unique with Narsha's lovely voice. The mini-album ends with a preview of "Mamma Mia", which is an amazingly catchy fun song that Narsha/Brown Eyed Girls fans should check out, and also an instrumental of "Bbi ri bba bba".



Vanness Wu - V (2011, Japan) | Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Break Out!, Why, Soldier, Love Will Come

Vanness's second Japanese album opens with a grand electronic smooth beat that let's you ease into it. Definitely has a suitable title, "Break Out!". It's playful, but still fits his usual style and appeal to the Japanese music trend in some ways. "Mission" keeps the energy high and has a steady electro-pop sound (that's infecting everything lately). "Why" brings out that smooth R&B style that Vanness is good at. It's still fresh and follows both the trend and his original flair. "No More Tears" is a bit more dramatic and shows off Vanness's voice. It fits in very well with the usual upbeat jpop sound that male artists have been producing lately, but maintains his own sound still. "Soldier" has a hint of rock and suppose hip-hop and R&B. It has a catchy chorus, powerful music, and is different from Vanness's usual sound, but still enjoyable to the ears. "Better" slows it down a bit with acoustics and piano as his voice resonates throughout the song with simple, heart melting beauty. "Shine On (Plasmo Electric Mix)" is a transformation to a more club beat from it's original bassy pop sound. It's a decent remix, considering I wasn't a huge fan of the original. "Love Will Come" is very rockish, but upbeat and encouraging. It has some vocal distortion, but it doesn't take away from the effect of the song too much and ends the album on a good note.