hi, im sorta new to japanese music... any recommendations on good jpn singers? how bout ballad singers? similar to Lee Soo Young? or just anything at all... thnx.

Hirai ken is a good artist.

i like nami tamaki songs

Ai Otsuka, Kou Shibasaki, Mika Nakashima, Remioromen

BOA, KODA KUMI, M-Flo
AYUMI Hamasaki,


thats all i can think of now

Natsukawa Rimi

Utada Hikaru, Hitomi Shimatani, Chihiro Onitsuka.

Tokyo Jihen, Spangle Call Lilli Line, Supercar, Anemone, Art-School, Quruli, Analog-fish, Sparta Locals, Number Girl, Noodles, Wrong Scale, Ellegarden, GoGo!7188, Love Psychedelico, Mongol800, Remioromen, Syrup16g, etc.

god, no, not again, there are plenty of jpop/rock/musicsites out there

Onitsuka Chirho, Mika Nakashima....you'll eventually find something you like.

What about Mono. Or if you like hard\speed rock like Melt Bananas.

A word of advice to some stay away from Koda Kumi and M-Flo, they are just like the ghetto Americans and sometimes worse. Koda Kumi is pretty, but her music is just rated X and m-Flo is an imatation ghetto.

just wanted to warn some who are looking for new Japanese music I came across them while looking not good artists

BoA, Ayumi, E.L.T. and some others are pretty good and they are low to medium hip hopish if you don't like that stuff. and some are pop, rock.

Gackt.

Depends on your music taste. Besides, there are tons of other Jpop/Jrock sites/forums that you can browse through to find out.

Agreed. Gackt's music is pretty artistic and unique. Reccommend him for sure.

But just try downloading a lot of different groups/singers because Japanese music has so much variety.

Ayumi, Mai_k, Koda, BoA and Utada

Do As Infinity, Gackt, Polysics, Miya Kitaki, and Puffy Amiyumi.

----------------------------
eldevine, Mon Jan 09, 2006 2:02 am
i dont think anyone can argue about what's really hip hop and what's not. especially when american hip hop has become so commercial, and in some ways seriously retarded (thanks lil jon). any popular artist knows/should know how to balance between what kind of music they wanna do (in this case, hip hop) and what kind of music that's gonna sell (pop). in my opinion, m-flo's earlier material with lisa was definitely more raw and hip hop, but the same experimental and wanting-to-have-fun attitude about their music hasn't changed. otherwise we wouldn't have had songs like ten below blazing or come again, which any uptight american listener would rule out as "too fast to be hip hop".

after all, m-flo's music stays hip hop because verbal and taku are putting out what they wanna put out. first of all, it doesnt matter that their lyrics are about love. in any other commercial music scene other than american (im pretty sure), there is no "struggle to get out of the ghetto" theme that rappers can take advantage of (which is played out nowadays, who thinks 50 cent is better than kanye west? i hope absolutely nobody), and even though many other hip hop communities try and find their own niche (i.e. much of korean hip hop is about problems with societal hierarchies, money VS integrity, or just sap, etc), love will probably stay as one of the most popular topics. so, outside of america, love songs shouldn't be ruled out.

secondly, verbal may rap about things that sound pop these days, but seriously, who can rhyme like he does? let's forget about the uptight american listeners who say things like "i dont understand what they're saying, i dont wanna hear this" for a minute. even if you only understand a bit of japanese, or not at all (maybe even english for that matter), you can easily hear how he rhymes in two different languages in crafty ways. if you listen to american hip hop and know some of the craftiest rhymes (for me, jay-z and eminem come to mind), you can tell that verbal's about the same level in terms of putting rhymes together, if not above them (regardless of what jay-z and eminem may rap about; i believe their lyrical content are ingenious, by american standards or not). and verbal does it in two languages mixed together, while still making sense (this is how a lot of korean rappers who claim to be bilingual are marked "suxors"). how can verbal be not hip hop, when he is such an expert at the art of rhyming, which hip hop music (rap, R&B, and everything in between) is all about?

thirdly, m-flo's music was, from the beginning, to be a mix between the elements of hip hop, 2step, house, etc. even while lisa was there. if you came across m-flo looking for hardcore rappers who rap on any level of boring beats, you found the wrong band. m-flo, in a music industry that doesn't really require a definite color in one's music (namely, j-pop), is proudly surviving with their own color of music. this comes back to the earlier point of putting what they wanna put out and being successful. even though you choose not to call them a hip hop band, they're very much operating in the ways of hip hop.

and by the way, if you wanna listen to verbal rapping about, i guess just different stuff, listen to mic banditz. but you still can't get away from how verbal purely wants to do what he wants to do and have fun with his music.

let's shift a bit away from m-flo's music. so, teriyaki boyz can definitely thought of as a gimmick. after all, for a lot of japanese listeners (for those who still think this album is being released in the states, i shake my head), if a song was produced by an american producer, its AUTOMATICALLY a hit in their minds. it doesn't matter that teriyaki boyz consists of four of the best rappers in japanese music. i guess that kinda contributes to how some of the songs aren't as great as we expect, but at least in most of the songs they tried to get away from verse-chorus-verse-chorus-verse-chorus format and put in a lot of twists (still, i cant even begin to like that one song that none of them really rap in, but they just whisper). aside from, say, daft punk, jus blaze, neptunes, and mark ronson productions, most other songs can easily be identified as somewhat old-school sounding. i'm guessing they intended those songs to sound like that, which in a way asks for the lyricists to make up for the lack of excitement in beat (which i have to admit they didn't do very well?). personally, i skip those tracks too, as i'd imagine many others would. even though it was a promising project, def jam japan couldn't give them a budget that would ruin their other artists' budgets, so oh well, i guess it didn't come out as good as everyone expected. still, i don't think this hurts verbal's credibilities so much that he's not hip hop anymore, or that he's not as good as before. well, any artist for that matter, could come back later with some sick stuff? so what if teriyaki boyz wasn't as good as we thought? verbal is still a great japanese hip hop icon.

well, i mean anyone can think of verbal as they please, anyone's free to think what they'd like to think, but i personally am always impressed by his rhymes first and foremost, every time a new song comes out. in conclusion, it's difficult nowadays to define what hip hop should be and what direction it should go in the future (american, i mean), and looking at japanese hip hop with the same criteria probably isn't such a good idea anyway. in america we have outkast and black eyed peas, in korea we have clazziquai project, and in japan we have m-flo. these are just some of the pioneers who arent afraid to put out what they wanna put out. i guess some listeners dont understand, some listeners like it cuz it sounds like pop, and some listeners just faithfully stand by them. thats just how it is.

in any case, thanks to everyone who contributed their opinions, i dont mean to contend or offend anyone with this post, i thought i had to put my opinion out at some time and this seemed like a good opportunity. much love to jpopsuki, i gotta go now. later!
Cinderella, Mon Jan 09, 2006 1:55 am
To each their own opinion. Personally, I love this song; mainly 'cause I love Wheesung. So thanks for this performance!!!!
-------------------


anyway,





















Larc-en-Ciel

Hyde

Vocals
Ken

Guitar
Tetsu

Bass
Yukihiro
Drums



It is hard to have interest in contemporary Japanese culture without constantly coming across this notorious band. There was a time when their music and pictures were everywhere and now, even if things have been quieter on the L'Arc-en-Ciel (French for "The Rainbow") front, their music still echoes in sound systems across the world. Whether or not they decide to continue as a band, the mark they left on the the Japanese music scene is here to stay.

Judging from the reaction of hysterical schoolgirls, their pretty faces pictured in every Japanese magazine may have something to do with their fame but the keenest music aficionado can surely agree with the masses on this one. These guys can produce some the most addictive music in recent history, music you may have already heard in anime series like DNA², Great Teacher Onizuka and Rurouni Kenshin, and in movies such as Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and the original version of The Ring.



Whatever the song in L'Arc-en-Ciel’s inventory, the bass never goes unnoticed. Without taking too much space, as a good bassist should, Tetsu uses complex and unpredictable lines that place him as one of the best players out there. As the band’s leader, he also composed some of their most well-liked songs including Blurry Eyes and Driver’s High. Ken, however, is the principal composer and the one responsible for heavier songs. He can, nonetheless, adapt his style to any of the member’s without losing his personal touch, which stands out to the highest degree in every song, regardless of its composer.

Even if Tetsu is the founder and official leader of the band, Hyde is without a doubt L'Arc-en-Ciel’s frontman. I have no objection to him receiving most of the credit, as he is an exceptionally talented singer and lyricist. After looking up translations of his words, I was given an entirely new perspective on songs I first interpreted as cheery and carefree. He sings his award-winning lyrics with much passion and tone variations no one should ever attempt in karaoke. Hyde was chosen as vocalist, yet singing is but a fraction of his abilities; do not be surprised to see him with a guitar or saxophone on stage.

Yukihiro had big shoes to fill after the departure of Sakura in 1997 since the former drummer and the band had come a long way together. My hat goes off to him, however, as he managed to build a strong presence within the group, imposing his softer style and calm attitude, poles apart from that of Sakura. Newer fans like myself did not have to face this drastic change but I can believe it was hard for early followers to adapt.



It all began in 1992 when Tetsu recruited Hyde, Hiro and Pero to form a group bearing the name of a movie he had just seen. A year later, when the band was starting to gain recognition playing in their hometown, Osaka, Hiro and Pero sequentially withdrew, obliging Tetsu to convince his long-time friend, Ken, to drop his studies in architectural design and to convert Sakura to L'Arc-en-Cielism, after seeing him drum in a Live House. In April 1993, the newly reformed band ruled the underground charts with their debut album, Dune.

This was, of course, merely the beginning as they steadily enlarged their fan base until Sakura, their erstwhile drummer, was arrested for heroin possession in 1997 and left. Too close to their dream to quit, the remaining members organized a new tour introducing Yukihiro, previously of Die in Cries, on the drums. The first of such concerts had a possible attendance of 56,000 and sold out in four minutes. Another record was set when they released two full albums, Ark and Ray, at once and saw them share the first two spots on Japanese charts. Their next record, Real, even though excellent, will unfortunately be know as Laruku's last album in a long, long time. Compilations, remixes, more compilations... Everyone seemed to be heading in different directions with their solo projects and the foul stench of disbandment was in the air.



However, the band members seem to have renewed their vows. One can almost call their Shibuya Seven days 2003 concerts in June a reunion tour and a new album from the band has been announced. That's the good news. The bad news is that this album is scheduled for release March 31, 2004! A lot can happen until then but L'Arc-en-Ciel's management seems very confident about this new start and even announced a nationwide tour in May of next year. In the mean time, a photo book and DVD of their week at Shibuya are to be expected.



Favourite Album:

Ark


Released in conjunction with Ray, Ark has a bit more zest than its brother. This album does not stand far above the others but its rather short length is balanced by some of the best music in L'Arc's history. Songs such as Butterfly's Sleep and Forbidden Lover are accompanied by experimental works like the Hawaiian-sounding Perfect Blue. I would even recommend this album over their "best-ofs"


Favourite Songs:

Shinjitsu to Gensou to

Dune

Loreley

Heaven's Drive

Butterfly's Sleep

Forbidden Lover

Dive to Blue

Blurry Eyes

And She Said...

Pieces

Why Shinjitsu to Gensou to?

To be honest, I'm having the hardest time deciding on my favourite Laruku song. It changes regularly but my choice stopped on Shinjitsu to Gensou to recently because I just love the intro and the vocals. This one showcases Ken over Tetsu but the latter's subtle work is imperative as usual.
-------------------------------------------



Onitsuka Chihiro

Be on the lookout for this rising star. With only three albums of about ten songs each, Onitsuka Chihiro seems to have been singing all her life, as I am sure she has. I first discovered her by accident while looking for some information on the Japanese animation Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi. It only took a few samples to know how enjoyable her style was.

Both relaxing and absorbing, her smooth voice seems to come right from her heart and goes straight to yours. Knowing when to use a clean voice or pour emotion into it at the right moment is part of the art of singing and sometimes you can tell when such a thing comes naturally. This is definitely the case here. Jane-of-all-trades, she is also a superb lyric and music writer and also handles the guitar when required.

As with the vast majority of solo artists, everything revolves around the vocals. The most beautiful voice is useless if it sounds too much like all the others. Onitsuka Chihiro excels in that sense; her voice is both shy and a bit raw even if she can reach incredibly high and low tones. She also steers clear of the pop-idol trends currently raging in Japan and neither sounds nor looks anything like a carbon copy of some of the anonymous J-Pop stars out there. It is that same rawness that also gives her songs a more genuine feel, making most of her melancholic compositions an intense listening experience yet all the while comforting and pleasing.

For Chihiro, words are the focal point of her songs and she makes it a rule of thumb to always concentrate on them before the music. Trust me, it shows; rare are the repeated clichés about old boyfriends but instead we discover new facets of her personality and past with every creation.

Fortunately, there is no laxity in the music department since the simple yet beautiful melodies used as complements to her prose add greatly to the air. Her songs sometimes appear repetitive but this impression comes from the almost exclusive use of piano, violins and vocals. Digging a bit deeper shows Chihiro is far from monotonous. In fact, she does a great job in keeping everything diversified while retaining a similar atmosphere throughout her albums. The beauty of it all? She is doing what she loves and works very hard to contribute to the music scene in her own personal way.

Since she had a fascination for English but hardly knew a word of it, she could only do covers of American and British songs while clumsily trying to write her own. She later learned the true beauty of her native language but it was one of such covers that got her the first place at an audition by Virgin Records. The hundreds of scribbles in her notebook eventually formed Insomnia which was an unexpected mega-hit due to the use of her second single, Gekou, as the closing theme for the Japanese drama Trick. Chihiro's latest album is called Sugar High and was a major bestseller. Do not be fooled by the small amount of tracks; with only one exception, all songs on Sugar High are well over four minutes and this album is clearly up to par with her previous works.

Sign, Beautiful Fighter, Iihi Tabidachi Nishi e, Watashi to Waltz wo... the album containing all these 2003 singles was due in March with a compilation of singles but all we saw was the compilation. Months later and still no word of Chihiro. Scared? You should be. I know I am.



Favourite Album:

This Armor



Perhaps gained with experience, This Armor is a bit more complete than her debut album, Insomnia, and has slightly deeper lyrics. Including Infection, Ibara no Umi and Ryuuseigun the former doesn't rely as much on one hit as did her first album with Gekkou, which even has two versions of the said song. Sugar High is a very good one, as well, and I enjoy it a bit more every day.


Favourite Songs:

Infection

Ibara no Umi

Gekkou

Ryuuseigun

Rasen

Borderline

Shadow

Hyooryuu no Hane

Memai

Fly to Me

Why Infection?



Oh man, this begins as a pleasant but mundane Onitsuka song, but gradually builds up tension and culminates in an ending that shows how emotionally driven this vocalist truly is. She also goes into much lower tones in this piece and pulls them off with aplomb.



================================

Gackt


I picked up my first Gackt CD, Moon, out of curiosity spawned from the amazing box art. I was basically expecting an album where everything revolved around the, albeit incredible, vocals of this ex-Malice Mizer member and didn't think Gackt's composing skills could come remotely close to that of his former band's leader, Mana. I even went as far as to think he might turn out to be an imperfect clone of his former band.

I was wrong, very wrong. Not only did he produce a sound completely different than that of his previous group, but it turns out Gackt has his priorities straight and is a fantastic composer and musician himself. Do not worry about the visuals, though; he is still the perfect entertainer on stage, in videos and during photo shoots. It is hard not to be... with a mug like that.


Having alleged to still be good friends with every member of his past band, his exceptional and multiple talents may help explain his unexpected departure from Malice Mizer. His musical genius was most likely put to waste in Mana's shadow and he wanted to soar using his own wings.

Very competitive in nature, Gackt goes all out when he starts something. Throughout his life, this approach allowed him to master several instruments: Trumpet, tuba, horn, trombone, piano, guitar, drums, bass; he is a one-man orchestra. Even with this array of competences, he decided to concentrate on composing and writing during his solo career. He recruited a score of talented musicians who lend him a hand during shows and recordings. However, his talents as a pianist could not be surpassed as he often takes care of the ivories himself.

Perhaps his most appreciated attribute is his dedication to his fans and music as this anecdote authenticates: Gackt once performed a concert in which the ending demanded that he be lifted off the stage with wires. However, the room was so small, he could not detach himself without being spotted by the crowd below. He suggested that he stay up there until everyone left. Forty minutes after the concert, technicians told him he could get down since there only was one couple left in the audience. Gackt preferred to wait some more.

He joined his friend's band in high school as a drummer. The band's vocalist left and Gackt jumped on the occasion to try something new. Discovering a new talent and passion in singing, he joined an emerging band in 1995, Malice Mizer, which also recently lost its vocalist. Gackt seemed to have breathed new life into the band with his suiting voice and optimism.

On January 19, 1999, Japan was shocked to hear Gackt was going solo. Worries were appeased after the release of his first Maxi-single, Mizerable and appeasement set place to jubilation when Mars hit the shelves. The diversity and quality of this first album confirmed his independence all the while showing a side of him barely foretasted in his Mizer period. His two next albums, Rebirth and Moon were like throwing oil on a fire.



It has been a pretty disappointing year for Gackt, so far. He must be planning something big. A single in March, a maxi-single in June, a few re-releases and DVDs are all that were produced since his latest album, Moon. And speaking of moons, Moon Child, the movie in which him and L'Arc-en-Ciel's vocalist, Hyde, starred will be available on region 2 DVD September 25. A second maxi-single was scheduled for September, as well, but the project has been put on hold indefinitely. Us fans are getting a bit impatient but all our fears should be put to rest in the near future.



Favourite Album:

Mars



Most of his fans (including myself) agree: this album has not yet been matched by Camui Gackt and very few other artists for that matter. It is a bit more mellow than his latest album, Moon, but this style suits him with aplomb. Besides, some more upbeat songs are sprinkled here and there diversifying and flavouring this already magnificent compilation.


Favourite Songs:

1. Emu For My Dear

2. Mizerable

3. Cube

4. Kono Daremo inai heya de

5.Oasis

6. Lu:na

7. Dears

8. Story

9. Lapis

10. Wasurenai kara


Why Emu For My Dear?

Gackt's magnum opus in a sense. This song goes through different phases but the transitions are so smooth it is hard to notice how it gets from one point to another. The few times the pace suddenly fluctuates are intense in their own way, too.



=====================



Die
Guitar
Kaoru
Guitar
Kyo
Vocals
Shinya
Drums
Toshiya
Bass




I will say this right away: Dir en grey is an acquired taste of the extreme kind. Hearing the "wrong" songs first can quickly build preconceptions and qualms if one is not use to such spicy music. Now that this is out of the way, let the praising begin!

Anyone that leaves his or her taboos out the door is bound to fall for the disturbing charm of Dir en grey. Very few songs manage to leave me shaking on the floor in foetal position but many of their creations have that particular effect. Originality is once again the name of the game and even if it is hard to notice it at first, this band splendidly diversifies its repertoire but always keeps the intensity present. That intensity is sometimes pushed to the edge in their more offensive songs such as Zan, yet such an insane pandemonium of sound still rubs me the right way when I feel like letting off some steam or simply bask in a storm.



One of the most versatile instruments in Dir en grey’s arsenal is Kyo’s voice, which ranges from whispering to hysterical, sometimes leaping between the two every few seconds. Raw and hard to endure, his touch has a deep impact on the psychological effect of their songs. Even if a stereo cannot emulate the energy he displays on stage, his voice and words certainly overcompensates for that misfortune.

It is, however, the bass, played by Toshiya, that I tend to prefer in DeG’s music. Habitually fast and always fluctuating, his lines are one of the main reasons his band stands above the crowd, and that his talent remains hardly rivalled. There are of course plenty of other reasons, notably called Shinya, Kaoru and Die.

Shinya's androgynous ways are reminiscent of many famous Japanese musicians and while she... he is far from being able to perform the exploits of his alter-ego and mentor, Yoshiki of X Japan, his drumming is nothing short of amazing. The two guitars have been improving immensely throughout the years and have now reached a peak in excellence. There is no lead or accompanying guitar in their case; both are equally present and skilful. Where Kaoru has the edge, however, is in music composition. He wrote or co-wrote most of Dir en grey’s songs but I must commend the band for their individual participation in music. Many groups’ success rests on the imagination of a single member but every member of this one wrote, at the very least, one song I adore.



It first seems as if DeG appeared out of nowhere. Their popularity surely came briskly but the band was not at its first steps when they reached the top. Formally known as La:Sadies, Dir en grey was officially announced in 1997 when Toshiya joined the group. They then released their first mini-album, Missa, which contained six songs including the now popular Garden and Erode.

I have said it before and I will say it again: Yoshiki from X Japan knows how to spot talent. Taking the band under his wing and out of the underground touring as he did with GLAY, Dir en grey was now on the fast track of becoming one of Japan's most popular bands. Their subsequent albums, Gauze, Macabre and Kisou reached high positions on Japanese charts and gathered an unprecedented horde of fans from many different countries.

Hang on, the wait is almost over. Child Prey, Drain Away and Kasumi were not teasers but paved the road to Dir en grey new album, Vulgar, scheduled for September 10. It will contain a whooping fifteen tracks and is already available for pre-order. It might be a good idea to take advantage of this early announcement since initial pressings will contain a bonus DVD and will surely sell like hot cakes. However, please note these special editions cost a bit more and require a Region 2 encoded player.



Favourite Album:

Gauze



It could as well be Kisou or Macabre but I chose Gauze for the way it flows. Hits aside (since each album has its fair share), Gauze's mood slowly oscillates to display countless emotions and styles. Lyrics on this one are simply startling: Mazohyst of Decadence, for example, is a dark poem of how a child would view his own abortion.
Favourite Songs:

1. Cage
2. Mazohyst of Decadence
3. Zakuro
4. Raison d'etre
5. Myaku
6. Erode
7. Garden
8. Zan
9. Embryo
10. Akuro no oka

Why Cage?

OK, so I'm a sucker for bass guitar. This song is just Toshiya at his best with insane bass lines and a long, complex solo. You cannot blame a song for being more mainstream when it is that good.



=========================

AYUMI Hamasaki
yeaheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

L'Arc-en-Ciel i'll recomend the songs lover boy, lost heaven, and driver's high!!! My Favorite album SMILE. Ready Steady Go the OSt of Full Metal Alchemist really rocks my head... Good thing I have a japanese dad, I've all the copy of their album. Hyde's voice is really sexy...

other cool bands: (except gackt)
Glay
Gackt
Orange Range
Do as Infinity (but they're disbanded now)
CHEMISTRY

2

I swear to god Zeizei, you just copied that from that site which I cant remember, unless I'm wrong which I highly doubt since your DEG review is only as recent as if it was during pre-vulgar days.

F. DUH, I copied and pasted.

I'm not the type to write reviews of japanese artists.

it's from that projectj.com site.

did I say I wrote if myself? no, so fu-k off

Wow, you got offended - now that's hilarious. I wonder what happens next when I keep replying to your somewhat ... baby-ish cusses - suprise me.

Ayumi Hamasaki - Ladies Night

It's so camp, I love it.

Hi I'm pretty new to the whole jrock scene too!
What got me into it was "The 5.6.7.8's" from "Kill Bill" then I found and fell in love with "Luna Sea", "Gackt" and more hard core stuff like "Dir en Grey" and "Pierrot".
Oh! "Mikabomb" are cool, though they're from London!

D'espairsRay, Merry, SID, Dir en grey, L'Arc~en~ciel, Gazette, D, 12012, MUCC, Phantasmagoria, MIYAVI, Kagrra, Soroban, Janne Da Arc, GLAY, Pierrot, Aline 9th, BUCK-TICK, Chemistry, K, D-51, Home made kazuo, Crystal Kay, TRAX, B'z, Exile,...etc ><;;

BOA
KODA
KUMI
M-FLO
AYUMI HAMASAKI
UTADA HIKARU
MIYAVI

=D

hello!
i'm Jinx422 and i'm interested in the japanese culture and stuff so would you mind talking to me. I live in Florida. and i'm 17 yrs. old.

THere's so many!! But here are a few suggestions.

Utada Hikaru --> definitely one of the best

Rie Fu --> though many of her songs are in english. i love her voice though!

Sayaka --> a good song of hers is Jougen no Tsuki

Nakashima Mika --> Yuki no Hana is a good start

Reira starring Yuna Ito - Endless Story -->this song's from the Nana Movie

Do As Infinity --> they're just awesome!

Ai Otsuka --> love her songs too

ALL good recommendations apart from Gackt.

You have pretty good taste overall though. Throw in some Janne D'Arc, Exile and older stuff like Kome Kome Club and Yume Suzuki too.
You'd have a good collection right there.

I go for nami tamaki & utada hikaru. Nami tamaki is KawaII.

Melt Banana
www.parkcity.ne.jp/~mltbanan/

you could go to youtube.com

and search for some artists, singers and groups there
or just under jrock or jpop

you'll get to see video's.

if you just search Gackt, you'll get more than 80 pages,

sorry, I can't resist posting this

not mine. as if I could write an eloquent essay


==========
Music

Songs

The reason why I am so deeply drawn to him and dangerously obsessed is because of his songs. Every one of his songs creates a beautiful imagery inside of one's mind while telling a story. The amazing thing is that he never forces you to feel a certain "feeling" when you listen to his music. Although you can hear a lot of strong feeling and emotion, he never forces any type of feeling on you. This means what one person interprets from one song may be completely different to another person. This allows the listeners to be able to relate to his songs in some way, regardless of the sound or feelings they get from each one of his songs. This also means that what you feel from listening to one of his songs now maybe interpreted much differently if you listened to it again 20 years from now. That's why I can never get tired of his music. It is because i feel something different each time i listen to one of his songs.

Another great thing is his music sounds very heartful, meaning he creates music from his heart and not for commercialized reasons. This makes his songs very memorable, and music that you can listen to over and over, yet never get tired of it. At the same time, it may also mean it may take more than a couple listens before you can acquaint yourself with his strong yet unique sound. In fact, many of the ones you may not like at first may grow on you more to become your favorite ones...at least that happened to be my case. it's as if with gackt's song, the more you listen to them and allow them to age on you, the better the song sounds.

Lastly but definantly not least, he treats every song like his best. This means he wants every one of his songs to be his best, so that you really can't say "this song is better than this one." Therefore, Gackt always gives more than 100% of his effort in every one of his songs. If he didn't, he wouldn't even release the song in the first place. That is the main reason why I admire him. It is because he always does everything to the best of his ability, even if it means passing out at concerts or writing songs while he is hospitalized, or singing with all his effort while suffering from a flu.

Voice

Gackt has an amazing voice range. His voice can be super low in songs like "Cube" or reach falsettos in opening songs like "Ares" and "4th" that sound so high that you might mistaken it for a female's voice. o_0 He can also transition very smoothly from a female sounding voice to a guy's voice, demonstrated in "Illness Illusion."

More importantly, in his songs, it is his voice that carries the song, and not the music. That means if you listened to an instrumental version of his songs, it would sound quite empty feeling compared to the version with his voice. That also means that if you listened to his music w/ just his vocals and no instruments, the song would still sound amazing, because its his voice that carries the song.

Style (under construction)

Gackt is a very versatile and experimental artist. In fact, it's hard to categorize what genre of an artist he is because all of his songs can be classified into their own genres. Listening to the wide variety of sounds he uses may even make you more open to liking new music genres. For he has done everything from rock, pop, industrial, classical, R&B, ska, acoustics all to his own perfection. Simply, I'd prefer to call the genre of his music, "Gackt style", as he's stated himself. And although the first thing you may notice in his music is how it sounds, the main point of his music that's more important is not what type of sound the music is, but merely, what the listener "feels" when they listen to it.

Emotion (under construction)

The amount of emphasis he puts in capturing emotion in his songs can be overwhelming to listen to but the beauty of it is that it allows you to picture and understand the feelings he's trying to conceive in each song. the emotion he puts in his songs is not forcefully thrown at the listner, but merely, evanescent instead. For example, he can express anger without making you feel angry, and instead, make you feel calm and at ease. The best way to describe the emotion he puts in his music is that it is strong enough to encircle and create and vivid world around you, while making you say, teary eyed, without having reminded you of anything sad. That is the magic of Gackt's music. It is the fact that he can encircle such tremendous emotions that the listeners may never have felt or experienced before, yet somehow allow the listener to relate, connect, and react to it as if they had experienced that emotion before in some unknown way. This is why you don't need to know Japanese to appreciate Gackt's music. In fact, it may be a plus not knowing the exact words he's saying because it allows you to paint a more openly interpreted picture in your mind when you listen to his songs.

Lastly, but not least, the emotions expressed in his songs make for very inspirational and uplifting songs. There is a magical force and aura felt from listening to his songs and the power he puts in them that can make the listener inspired enough to believe that they can accomplish anything that they believe in. Listening to the emotion he expresses is enough to inspire the listener that amazing pieces of works were created because of his dedication, devotion, and uncompromising effort to create and make the best of his ability.

I hope that by making this page, I can interest others into giving Gackt's music a try, so that they too, can experience the same magic that may (or may not) affect them in the same (greater/or less) ways that it has affected me.

For that, I thank dear gackt-san for all that he's done and all that he is.

note: i wrote this page when i was feeling really high and ethereal, so please dismind any of the exaggeration written ; in the case that you find yourself less surprised than the level in which i had written up expecting for you to be.
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Cube
(listen to the whole damn song, to the very end, it's freaking beautiful)

http://www.youtube.com/w/Gackt---Cube-%28l...ch=Gackt%20cube


Doomsday
(beautiful performance)

http://www.youtube.com/w/Gackt---Doomsday-...ackt%20doomsday


these are his 'heavier' songs.

Good suggestion.



Bad suggestion.

gackt music will definately make u craving for more.....ask zezei