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Kamis, 31 Desember 2009


Profile of Canzel

Members-
Vocal: Icchi
Guitar: Mio
Guitar: Ruri
Bass: Haku
Drums: Yuki


Canzel formed on the auspicious date of July 7, 2007 and had their first live on November 18 at Takadanobaba AREA. The line-up, so far unchanged since their formation, is vocalist Icchi, guitarists Shiina Mio and Rui, Haku on bass and Yukimi on drums.

In March of 2008 they released their first maxi-single, FiRST STEPS E.P.. Fans had only a short time to wait for the next release, as only four months later they had another single out, NeXT SEASONS E.P., which reached 16th on the Oricon indies chart. Gaining popularity from their performances around the Kantou area, when Canzel held a oneman at Meguro Rock May Kan in August it sold out several days in advance. In November they also sold out their One Year Anniversary live, NEW WINDOWS at Takadanobaba AREA, where they'd performed their first live. Its corresponding single, NeW WINDOWS E.P., was released, limited to 500 copies.

2009 is proving to be a promising year for the young band as well. Starting in January, the band sponsored two months of live events mostly in the Tokyo area. Their first countrywide maxi-single release, TwINKLE SUNLIGHT E.P., was released on February 4, 2009 and reached 5th place on the Oricon indies weekly chart, their highest ranking yet. On April 19 they held a oneman to celebrate their fourth maxi-single, FuTURES WORLD E.P..

Minggu, 27 Desember 2009

J-Rock

J-Rock atau Japanese rock (日本のロック nihon no rokku?, rock Jepang) digunakan untuk menyebut genre musik rock yang ada di Jepang.

Aliran musik J-Rock menjadi populer di Indonesia berkat kepopuleran penayangan anime di televisi dengan lagu tema (soundtrack) yang dibawakan penyanyi dan kelompok musik Jepang.

Sejarah musik rock Jepang

Sejarah J-Rock dimulai tahun 1957 dengan dikenalnya musik rock di Jepang bersamaan dengan puncak kepopuleran rockabilly yang merupakan salah satu gaya rock 'n' roll.

Rockabilly yang dimulai di berbagai kelab jazz melahirkan penyanyi rockabilly seperti Mickey Curtis, Masaaki Hirao, dan Keijirō Yamashita. Pada bulan Februari 1958, ketiganya tampil dalam konser Westan Kānibaru I (Western Carnival I) di gedung pertunjukan bernama Nihon Gekijō, Tokyo.

Di akhir dekade 1950-an, kepopuleran rockabilly yang mulai surut digantikan era Kabā Popsu (cover pops) yang terdiri dari berbagai jenis musik. Di antara tokoh cover pops terdapat musisi seperti Yūya Uchida dan Isao Bitō yang berakar pada genre rockabilly. Selain itu, cover pops dengan gaya Liverpool Sound lahir mengikuti kepopuleran grup-grup musik seperti The Beatles di sekitar tahun 1963.

Gitar elektrik produk dalam negeri yang bisa dibeli dengan harga murah membantu terciptanya demam Ereki (musik rock dengan gitar elektrik). Istilah "Ereki" merupakan singkatan dari kata erekigitā (エレキギター ?, gitar listrik). Penggemar musik rock di Jepang banyak yang berganti identitas dari pendengar setia menjadi musisi rock.

Dari Ereki ke Liverpool Sound dan British beat

Sekitar tahun 1964-an, The Astronauts dan The Ventures menjadi populer di Jepang. Musik yang dimainkan musisi seperti Terauchi Takeshi to Burū Jīnzu (Takeshi Terauchi & Blue Jeans) disebut surf music alias musik Ereki (Eleki). Rekaman lagu The Astronauts dan The Ventures dengan lirik bahasa Jepang seperti yang dibawakan Fujimoto Kōichi juga menjadi hit. Musik Ereki dengan seketika mencapai puncak kepopuleran. Grup band Ereki di Jepang pada masa itu tidak saja memainkan lagu-lagu surf music, melainkan juga lagu-lagu berirama Liverpool Sound milik berbagai grup band asal Inggris yang menandai era gerakan musik British Invasion. Di tahun 1965, Yuzo Kayama membentuk band Ereki tiruan The Ventures yang disebut The Launchers. Grup musik ini begitu populer hingga Yuzo Kayama dijadikan peran utama dalam film Ereki no wakadaishō (Electric Guitar Young Guy atau Campus A-Go-Go).

Pada tahun yang sama, Tokyo Beatles merilis piringan hitam berisi lagu-lagu The Beatles dengan lirik bahasa Jepang. Selain itu, Tokyo Beatles juga mengeluarkan PH berisi lagu-lagu yang pernah dibawakan grup musik Inggris yang memainkan Liverpool Sound.

Group sounds

Kedatangan The Beatles untuk tampil dalam pertunjukan di Jepang membuat grup-grup musik Ereki berganti warna musik agar ikut bisa bergaya British Invasion. Di antara perintis British Invasion di Jepang terdapat grup musik seperti Jackey Yoshikawa and his Blue Comets dan The Spiders. Pada saat yang bersamaan tampil grup musik berirama Group Sounds (Gurūpu Saunzu). Aksi panggung band-band berirama Group Sounds banyak meniru grup musik berirama British Invasion, tapi sebagian besar singel dan album mereka tidak berirama rock, melainkan Kayōkyoku atau Wasei Pops (pop Jepang).

Era 1960-an hingga 1970-an

Akhir dekade 1960-an hingga pertengahan dekade 1970-an diwakili grup-grup musik seperti Hadaka no Rallies, Jacks, RC Succession, Joe With Flower Travellin' Band, Mickey Curtis & Samurai, Blues Creation, Murahachibu, The Mops, PYG, Happy End, Sadistic Mika Band, Fried Egg, Yonin Bayashi, Magical Power Mako, Zunō Keisatsu dan Gedō. Tidak juga ketinggalan grup rock seperti Carol, Cools, dan band asal Kansai seperti Funny Company yang disebut sebagai Carol-nya Jepang bagian barat.

Daerah Kansai di dekade 1970-an diwarnai dengan rock aliran blues rock yang mirip southern rock. Musik jenis ini dibawakan pemusik rock seperti Ueda Masaki and South to South, serta West Road Blues Band. Sementara itu, angin Okinawan rock berhembus dari Okinawa. Aliran ini dibawakan Katchan Condition Green dan grup Murasaki. Dari namanya saja, grup Murasaki (bahasa Jepang untuk warna ungu) sudah jelas ingin diasosiasikan dengan Deep Purple. Dari Nagoya tampil Kondō Fusanosuke dengan grup Break Down. Ayukawa Makoto dengan grupnya yang bernama Son House tampil dari Fukuoka dan nantinya disebut perintis Mentai Rock.

Era rock Jepang hingga tahun 1980-an

Dekade 1970-an dimeriahkan Uzaki Ryūdō dengan kelompoknya yang Downtown Boogie-Woogie Band, grup Carol yang mendapat pengaruh kuat The Beatles, Off Course, dan Tulip. Selain itu, mantan anggota kelompok irama group sounds The Tigers yang berkarier solo, Kenji Sawada terus menghasilkan singel dan album berwarna rock. Takurō Yoshida dan Yōsui Inoue adalah penyanyi paling laris di Jepang saat itu. Keduanya dipengaruhi Bob Dylan dan musik-musik mereka bergaya folk rock. Sementara itu, grup musik yang paling laris adalah Garo dan NSP (grup musik) yang mendapat pengaruh dari Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Grup musik yang terkenal di Jepang pada pertengahan dekade 1970-an, misalnya: Kai Band yang memiliki warna rock yang kuat, Shōgo Hamada, Miyuki Nakajima, dan Momoe Yamaguchi yang banyak membawakan lagu ciptaan Ryūdō Uzaki. Walaupun banyak grup musik rock yang terkenal, musik rock masih belum diterima seluruh lapisan masyarakat.

Keadaan ini diubah oleh band Carol yang didirikan Eikichi Yazawa dan tiga tokoh rock ternama: Sera Masanori & Twist, Shinji Harada, Char yang dikenal sebagai "tiga besar dalam rock" (rokku gosanke). Musik rock makin mudah diterima orang Jepang berkat Southern All Stars yang memulai debutnya di tahun 1978, The Alfee, Kenji Sawada, dan Godiego (hanya single yang dirilisnya saja). Di akhir dekade 1970-an hingga awal 1980-an bermunculan musisi dan grup rock seperti Terao Akira, Creation, Yoshito Machida, Yamanaka Joe, Yanagi George & Rainy Wood, RC Succession, Monta & Brothers, Masaki Ueda, Kai Band, Shōgō Hamada, dan Masahiro Kuwana yang banyak melahirkan lagu-lagu hit. Bulan Maret 1980, Motoharu Sano memulai debutnya, tapi masih kurang mendapat sambutan.

Era new wave

Jepang di sekitar tahun 1980-an ramai dengan grup musik berbagai aliran seperti punk rock, new wave, techno-pop, hard rock, dan heavy metal. Grup musik yang mewakili era tersebut, misalnya: BOW WOW, Loudness, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Anthem, Earthshaker, 44Magnum, dan Hound Dog. Dari Fukuoka tampil grup-grup seperti Sheena & The Rokkets yang dipimpin Ayukawa Makoto, The Mods, A.R.B., The Roosters, dan The Rockers yang membawakan aliran Mentai Rock, serta The Checkers. Grup lain asal periode ini misalnya, Chanels (Rats & Star) yang dibesarkan di live house. Dari daerah Kanto tampil grup-grup musik seperti Plastics, Anarchy, Juicy Fruits, The Venus, Ippudō, Hikashu, dan P-Model.

Era band

Boøwy memulai debutnya di tahun 1982 dan band ini nantinya mempunyai pengaruh kuat dalam dunia musik rock Jepang. Sejak akhir dekade 1970-an, grup musik dari label rekaman Indies terus populer, sehingga terjadi "Band Boom" di Jepang pada paruh kedua dekade 1980-an. Pada masa itu terdapat banyak sekali grup-grup musik yang populer. Princess Princess, Unicorn, Jun Sky Walker(s), Bakufu-Slump, dan Pink Sapphire adalah nama-nama grup musik pencetak banyak sekali lagu hit di pertengahan tahun 1980-an. Di jalur heavy metal, Seikima II merupakan band yang paling populer dan sering tampil di televisi.

B'z memulai debutnya tahun 1988. Di tahun yang sama, album berjudul Covers oleh RC Succession dihentikan peredarannya akibat protes berbagai kalangan karena lagu-lagu bertema antiperang dan antinuklir. X Japan memulai debutnya di tahun 1989 dan berhasil menggetarkan Jepang dengan musik heavy metal yang dapat diterima semua kalangan. X Japan merupakan perintis gerakan musik Visual Kei yang melahirkan band-band yang mengekor ketenaran X Japan. Dari label Indies lahir grup rock Kin-Show (King-Show) yang bernaung di bawah perusahaan rekaman Nagomu Record.

Di akhir dekade 1980-an, The Flipper's Guitar memulai debutnya sebagai pemimpin gaya Shibuya Kei nantinya menjadi sub-budaya tersendiri. Gerakan musik Shibuya Kei memadukan unsur musik jazz, fusion, dan musik tradisional Jepang. Di sekitar waktu yang sama, Ozaki Yutaka juga mencapai puncak ketenaran. Lagu-lagunya bertema kritik sosial yang dilihat dari sudut pandang generasi muda.

Akhir "Band Boom"

Mr.Children yang beranjak dari live house La Mama di Shibuya memulai debutnya di tahun 1994. Kesuksesan Mr.Children diikuti oleh Spitz, ulfuls, The Yellow Monkey, dan Elephant Kashimashi.

Pertengahan dekade 1990-an merupakan puncak ketenaran band Visual Kei. Kehadiran Luna Sea mendapat sambutan luar biasa penggemar musik Jepang, diikuti oleh Glay dan L'Arc~en~Ciel (walaupun L'Arc~en~Ciel sendiri menolak disebut sebagai band Visual Kei).

Lagu-lagu dari band Visual Kei banyak dipakai sebagai lagu tema anime dan permainan video, sehingga keberhasilan anime dan permainan video di luar Jepang turut menyeret kepopuleran band Visual Kei di luar Jepang. Sementara itu, penyanyi rock wanita seperti Maki Oguro, Nanase Aikawa, dan Ringo Shiina sedang berada di puncak ketenaran. Di saat yang bersamaan muncul tren mendirikan grup musik campuran dengan vokalis wanita, seperti Judy and Mary dan Hysteric Blue. Pada waktu itu juga populer grup The High-Lows yang didirikan Hiroto Kōmoto dan Masatoshi Mashima yang keduanya mantan The Blue Hearts. Aliran baru yang disebut Melodic Hardcore diciptakan oleh Hi-Standard, Nicotine, Snail Ramp, dan Kemuri. Lirik lagu berbahasa Inggris yang sekarang sudah menjadi barang lumrah justru dimulai oleh Hi-Standard. Pada saat yang sama, band wanita Shonen Knife menjadi populer di luar Jepang. Mitos "sukses di luar negeri harus pandai betul memainkan instrumen" luntur dengan keberhasilan Shonen Knife menjadi band pembuka konser Nirvana pada tahun 1993. Beberapa band lain asal Jepang yang populer di luar negeri, misalnya Guitar Wolf, Boredoms, dan The 5.6.7.8's.

Akhir dekade 1990-an ditandai dengan puncak kepopuleran Blankey Jet City dan thee michelle gun elephant. Pada masa itu sering diadakan konser di alam terbuka seperti Fuji Rock Festival. Kelompok musik seperti Number Girl, Supercar, Yura Yura Teikoku yang termasuk aliran Rockin juga banyak menarik perhatian penggemar.

T.M.Revolution, Gackt, dan Kiyoharu yang memulai debutnya sebagai Visual Kei beralih sebagai musisi solo yang terus menghasilkan lagu yang dapat memasuki tangga lagu pop hingga sekarang.

Tahun 2001 hingga sekarang

Di awal tahun 2000-an mulai terdapat gaya Seishun Punk yang dimulai oleh Stance punks, Gagaga SP, dan Going Steady. Saat itu populer grup musik seperti Bump of Chicken, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, dan Acidman yang tergolong genre Shimokita Kei.

Sejak pertengahan tahun 2000-an terdapat banyak sekali grup bergenre Melodic Hardcore dan Emocore seperti Ellegarden dan Asian Kung-Fu Generation. Musisi yang berjasa di masa kejayaan Melodic Hardcore tahun 1990-an juga ikut bangkit kembali, misalnya: mantan anggota Hi-Standar yang bernama Ken Yokoyama berkarier solo, Ultra Brain, dan Snail Ramp.

Saat ini populer kelompok J-Rock seperti Bump of Chicken dan Sambo Master yang matang sebagai grup rock aliran utama. Selain itu juga terdapat Rize, Orange Range, HY, dan Dragon Ash yang tergolong genre Mixture rock.

Visual Kei

Visual Kei merupakan penggabungan dari kata Visual(bahasa Inggris), dan Kei(bahasa Jepang) yang mempunyai arti ‘gaya’. Jika komunitas Punk berasal dari London, maka Visual kei berasal dari Jepang. Visual Kei (ヴィジュアル系 bijuaru kei?) mengacu pada sebuah gerakan dalam J-Rock yang populer pada sekitar tahun 1990-an. Gerakan ini ditandai dengan band yang mengenakan kostum dramatis dan imej visual untuk memperoleh perhatian. Di Jepang, penggemar band Visual Kei sebagian besar hampir selalu terdiri dari gadis remaja dan dipasarkan secara luas dalam bentuk merchandise anggota band itu sendiri. Di negara-negara lain, perbandingannya kecil secara kuantitas antara penganut Visual Kei kira-kira keseluruhan antara remaja putra dan putri.

Anggota band Visual Kei sering memakai make up yang mencolok, dengan gaya potongan rambut yang dramatis, yang mengingatkan pada “pita rambut” tahun 1980-an dan memakai kostum yang sangat rumit. Walaupun sebagian besar musisi adalah laki-laki. Anggota band sering bermake up dan memakai pakaian yang dapat dianggap sebagai feminin atau androgynous. Pada akhirnya sebagian band kembali pada image warna – warni dan fantastik yang populer sekitar 5 tahun lalu yang diinspirasi game RPG dan anime. Daya tarik kostum pada fans adalah dengan ditunjukkan oleh para gadis yang berpakaian cosplay sebagai anggota band favorit mereka, secara terpisah pada konser di Jepang, di Amerika pada acara-acara anime.

Band visual kei yang diartikan sebagai yang utama dari gaya visual, tidak mengacu pada jenis musik tertentu. Mereka sebagian memainkan musik rock, hard rock seperti Luna Sea, Dir en Grey, Penicillin, Due'le Quartz, Plastic Tree, musik gothic dan neoclassic seperti Malice Mizer, Moi Dix Mois, Rentrer en Soi, D'espairs Ray dan Phantasmagoria, Light Rock dan Pop seperti L'Arc~en~Ciel, Glay, Shazna dan musik heavy metal dan Ballad seperti X Japan, Loudness, Buck- Tick, Sex Machine Gun, selain itu musik industrial, punk, dan techno kadang - kadang juga masuk ke dalamnya. Dengan mengambil genre dalam arti yang luas, sebagian besar memutuskan memainkan beberapa jenis musik rock.

Pengamat barat seringkali kebingungan dalam membedakan Visual Kei Band dengan Band Gothic karena kadang-kadang penampilannya yang mirip dalam bermake up dan berpakaian, tetapi sebagian gothic Jepang tidak bisa memasukkan visual Kei menjadi Gothic, dan disana ada persilangan budaya kecil antara Visual Kei Jepang dan Gothic Jepang diluar model gothic lolita, yang mana dipengaruhi oleh subbudaya gothic.

Secara luas gerakan ini telah dimulai oleh X Japan pada tahun 1980-an, yang mengangkat tren dari pemanfaatan visual shock untuk memperoleh pengakuan dalam kancah musik independen.

Sejarah:

Sejarah yang “melahirkan” adanya Visual Kei sebenarnya bermula saat Jepang mengalami perubahan besar-besaran usai Perang Dunia II. Saat itu ada suatu komunitas yang ‘terbuang’ dari masyarakat. Komunitas ini tidak hanya berbicara melalui mulut dan tulisan, tapi juga lewat penampilan. Komunitas yang mayoritas terdiri dari kaum adam itu tampil dengan mengenakan berbagai macam aksesoris dan berdandan maupun berperilaku layaknya perempuan. Lewat apa yang mereka pakai, mereka berbicara tentang segala hal. Mulai dari politik, segala under pressure, hingga masalah-masalah psikologis. Namun seiring dengan perubahan zaman, komunitas ini perlahan-lahan mengalami “mati suri” hal ini dikarenakan banyak orang Jepang yang lebih memilih bunuh diri untuk menyelesaikan masalah, daripada tenggelam dalam penderitaannya sendiri.

Profile of Sadie

* Vocals: 真緒 Mao
* Guitar: 剣 Tsurugi
* Guitar: 美月 Mizuki
* Bass: 亜季 Aki
* Drums: 景 Kei


History

The original line-up of the band consisted of 真緒 (Mao) on vocals, 剣 (Tsurugi) and 美月 (Mizuki) on guitar, 亜季 (Aki) on bass, and Sora on drums. The band released two maxi singles, 黒衣の下の欲望と、苦悩の果てに視た百景の百合達 (Kokui no Shita no Yokubou to, Kunou no Hate ni Mita Hyaku Kei no Yuri Tachi), and 溺哀 -dekiai- (-dekiai-) in 2005. Sora left the band due to musical differences later that year. The band recruited 景 (Kei) as their new drummer and soon released their first mini-album, The Trend Killer, in May 2006. Since then, the band has been successfully producing new music, rereleasing many works due to high demand. Sadie's first PV of the song "Meisai" was released along with the mini-album, THE SUICIDE MACHINE. Sadie completed their promotional tour for THE SUICIDE MACHINE in December/January with their finale, "THE SUICIDAL APPLICANTS" at SHIBUYA O-WEST. The band released their first live performance DVD for this show on 2007/04/18.


Personal Info

真緒 Mao
Position: Vocals
Birthday: June 7th
Bloodtype: 0
Birthplace: Kyoto
Former band: SELFRUSH
Height: 160cm
Weight: 45kg
Shoesize: 25,5cm
Ringsize: A girl's size
Favourite colours: Pink, white, black


剣 Tsurugi
Position: Guitar
Birthday: April 2nd
Bloodtype: AB
Birthplace: Shiga
Former band: Azure
Height: 172cm
Weight: 48kg
Shoesize: 26cm
Ringsize: 13~17
Favourite color: Black, red


美月 Mizuki
Position: Guitar
Birthday: January 8th
Bloodtype: B
Birthplace: Shiga
Former band: Chrysphase
Height: 175cm
Weight: 56kg
Shoesize: 26,5cm
Ringsize: I don't wear any.
Habit, favourite phrase: Quickly touching my lips. Favourite phrase: "Nayoi*"
Favourite color: Black and red, but I like pink more


亜季 Aki
Position: Bass
Birthday: March 25th
Bloodtype: A
Birthplace: Osaka
Former bands: TRESOR, Nana (ナナ)
Other: Slime (スライム): Sessionband for "I.D. PILOT DEAD ONE PRESENTS 2003", a session event.
Height: 175cm
Weight: 55kg
Shoesize: 25cm
Ringsize: 9 ~ 15
Habit, favourite phrase: I don't talk very often
Favourite colour: Black


景 Kei
Position: Drums
Birthday: November 30th
Bloodtype: AB
Birthplace: Shiga
Former band: Free (ふりぃ)
Height: 165cm
Weight: 48kg
Shoesize: 25.5 ~ 26.0 cm
Ringsize: I haven't had it measured, but I think it should be around 15 - 17.
Habit, favourite phrase: I'm easily affected by what people say
Favourite colour: Purple

Profile of The Kiddie

THE KIDDIE is a Visual-Kei/Oshare-Kei band. They debuted in May 2007.


Vocal: Yusa (揺紗)
Guitar: Yusei (佑聖)
Guitar: Jun (淳)
Bass: Sorao (そらお)
Drums: Yudai (ユウダイ)

Biography

THE KIDDIE is a bright pop-rock band, which was formed after the disbanding of the promising though young, Kazoku. With a mellow, yet upbeat style of music, the band has so far released memorable, simple songs of a consistent quality with very sweet vocals from Yusa.

Their look is usually casual and straight-to-the-point, and a little distinct from other young visual kei bands. As the members have been in a number of bands before, the experience the group already has is enabling them to produce exciting material with a lot of potential.

Discography

CD Singles
1. Little SENOBI (3rd October, 2007)
2. elite STAR+ (8th July, 2009)
3. soar (7th October, 2009)
4. Poplar (2nd December, 2009)

Maxi-Singles
1. Little SENOBI (23rd January, 2008)
2. Plastic Art (26th March, 2008)
3. Sayonara Setsuna (1st October, 2008)
4. NOAH (15th April, 2009)
5. BLACK SIDE(4th November, 2009)

Profile of 12012

12012 (イチニーゼロイチニ, ichi nī zero ichi ni) is a Japanese rock band. Formed in 2003 in Osaka Prefecture, the group centers its work around the concept of "madness inside a human" (人間の内面における狂気 ningen no naimen ni okeru kyōki). 12012 is also the penal code for the possession of a dangerous weapon in California. The group sometimes performs as "kyōki shoji" (凶器所持), which is a translation of that offense. They are a visual kei band, and consider their appearance as part of they way they express their music.

In 2007, the band performed the ending theme, Cyclone, to the Gonzo anime TV series, Romeo x Juliet, its single being released by Universal Music Japan on June 13, 2007. The group has also toured Japan on many occasions as well as performing at concerts in numerous international locations.

How the band formed

As Wataru explained, after the breakup of Lubis Cadir he wanted to form a new band, but he hated the thought of a band that only focuses on the singer. He didn't want to ask anybody because he hates to be refused, so instead he was waiting for the people he actually wanted to make the first step. Hiroaki was one of the guys he had in mind, and due to some miracle Aki on his own initiative asked Wataru to join a new band with him. Yuusuke wanted to have a new band with Tooru, but they couldn't find a singer, so they also asked Wataru. At first Wataru didn't want to be with Yuusuke in a band again, but he agreed because his style fit the new band's concept. Finally Tomo got invited, but he refused them because he wanted some peace before joining any new band, and he also had invitations from other bands. But when he visited the four guys in the studio and jammed with them, he immediately decided to join. After Lubis Cadir broke up, Wataru actually wanted to stop singing completely if he can't find the right band members, so I think he was (and we are) very lucky!

LINE UP

VO. 宮脇渉 [Miyawaki Wataru]
Born on July 23, 1980 in Ehime prefecture.
Previous band: Lubis Cadir (used the stage name 狂夜 Kyouya = "Crazy night")
Favorite food: Rice
Dislikes: Curry
How did you become interested in music? One morning I woke up and there was a microphone at my pillow.
Where can you relax the most? At home, in my bed
Hobby: Games
If you could one wish granted, what would it be? Flying
What would you do if you weren't a musician? Ambassador for Japan

Wataru writes all the lyrics for 12012. He likes to be called "creator" instead of "vocalist". In a surprisingly gloomy interview he revealed that he suffers a lot when he's writing lyrics. As for the band's concept, he explained he can't really trust people, and always ends up trying to figure out what's going on in others' deepest thoughts. This makes him feel lonely at times. It was quite a shocking revelation, since he's usually laughing and joking around a lot.
He used to play soccer in elementary and high school. However, he completely gave it up for the sake of music. He used to like punk and Yutaka Ozaki, but his first band (at the age of 15) was a VK copy band.
He likes to read a lot, he said reading is as much of a daily habit for him as brushing teeth. He also likes movies, especially suspense stories. His favorite director is Kitano Takeshi.
Said in an interview that he's learning to play the violin, what happened to it?
He's a very friendly guy with a lovely speaking voice.


GU. 酒井洋明 [Sakai Hiroaki]
Born on June 25, 1982 in Ehime prefecture
Previous bands: Louisa, Cell'June, Killa (used the stage name Aki)
Height, weight: 183 cm, 60 kg
Favorite food: Bread
Where can you relax the most? In front of my PC
Hobby: DJ
What do you do in your free time? I don't have free time
What would you do if you weren't a musician? Scientist

12012's main composer (although all band members take part in writing songs).
He was the one who suggested to Wataru that they should form a band (which became 12012).
Hiroaki has 2 Dan in karate. He actually wanted to be a karate teacher, and study sciences at the university as well! He indeed has a weird scientist in him, from making unexpected/philosophical comments during interviews to being a big gadget freak. He loves PCs, DJ turntables and cars (especially Ferrari), and he's a regular iTunes user. Aki's father used to be in a band, too. He visited some of Aki's concerts, sometimes leaving in the middle of the show because "the sound was bad". Since the US tour the others call him "Hiroyaki" (apparently this is how the American pronunciation sounded to them.)


GU. 須賀憂 [Suga Yuusuke]
Born on June 9, 1980 in Ehime prefecture
Previous band: Lubis Cadir
Height, weight: 174 cm, 56 kg
Favorite food: Almost anything
Dislikes: Green peas
Current interests: Looking for a hobby
Where can you relax the most? At home
If you could one wish granted, what would it be? Moving to a new place
What do you do in your free time? I don't have free time
What would you do if you weren't a musician? Designer

Yuusuke had all kinds of plans for the future, such as becoming a photographer, a Formula 1 racer, or a professional baseball player. But like the others, he ended up in 12012. He started guitar lessons in elementary school. He actually wanted to play the saxophone, but it was too expensive. Speaking of photography, he loves taking pictures in his free time; some of his photos were even used for the covers of "Play Dolls" and "Heart"! He didn't used to get along too well with Hiroaki in the beginning, but now they joke about this a lot. The only person in the band with blood type A (the others are all B). Apparently he's (or used to) driving the band's van a lot. Once they got into an accident near Nagoya. But apart from Tooru spilling his food and Tomo hurting his neck, they were lucky.
Has many nicknames, some fans call him Yuu, Tomo calls him "Gacchan".


BA. 塩谷朋之 [Enya Tomoyuki]
Born on October 7, 1980 in Kushiro, Hokkaido
Previous band: Mist of Rouge (as Tomo)
Height, weight: 183 cm, 58 kg
Favorite food: Cake
Dislikes: Raisins
Where can you relax the most? Bathroom (admittedly takes baths for hours while listening to music)
If you could one wish granted, what would it be? Can you do something about my clumsy personality?
What do you do in your free time? Writing songs
What would you do if you weren't a musician? Can't imagine

Tomoyuki learned the piano in elementary school. (He plays the synthesizer in 12012 songs.) He hated having to sit in the piano school instead of playing outside, but now he's grateful for his parents' insistence because through the piano lessons he acquired a feeling for music and he can read notes. He started playing the guitar in senior high, but found it too small so he switched to the bass guitar.
Tomo's father is a shakuhachi master (traditional Japanese bamboo flute), he used to try to "jam" with Tomo while he was practicing the piano, but he only managed to annoy his short-tempered son. Likes movies, especially Johnny Depp's Edward Scissorhands. (He's a huge Johnny Depp fan! Wataru actually calls him "Johnny".) He also likes to read a lot, especially classical literature, one of his favorite books is "White Nights" by Dostoevsky. He generally loves summer, the sea, fireworks festivals, and girls in yukata (summer cotton kimono).


DR. 川内亨 [Kawauchi Tohru]
Born on April 11, 1983 in Ehime prefecture
Previous bands: Dictator, De'sert, Nejire
Height, weight: 175 cm, 56 kg
Favorite food: Rice omelette
Dislikes: None
Current interests: Heavy metal
Where can you relax the most? Home
Hobby: Watching movies
If you could one wish granted, what would it be? Please give me money
What do you do in your free time? Sleeping
What would you do if you weren't a musician? Carpenter

He wanted to play the guitar as a child, but his parents didn't want to buy him one. In order to win their favor, he would put strings on a cardboard box and "perform" for them. His first band was founded in high school - his friends had already all picked an instrument, only the drums were left.
He used to like Siam Shade. He prefers Japanese music to Western bands, he even likes Ken Hirai. He especially loves ballads. He would love to sing ballads when going to karaoke bars with the other band members, but he restrains himself, because it would make the mood gloomy. (Because of this he even considered going alone a few times.) Once he sang "Vomit", but Wataru got really mad at him.
Tohru also loves soap operas, he says he's a real "terebikko". He loves role playing games as well. Has a strange mascot: a plastic box with a Rirakkuma in it - he calls it the "Forbidden Box", and nobody's allowed to open it. But since he grew up with 5 sisters (4 older and 1 younger sis), we shouldn't be too surprised by his funny habits.


Profile of Vivid

Formed in March, ViViD recently signed with PS COMPANY sub-label Indie PSC.

Members

Vocalist: Shin(シン) (ex-REVERb, Akihabara Shounendan Dennou Romeo[電脳ロメオ], RHYOLITE)
Guitar: Reno(零乃) (ex- NoveLis, Hi:BRiD [support])
Guitar: Ryouga(怜我)(ex- M.cry [support], ZiL [support])
Bass: IV(イヴ) (ex- 平成ミルカート, キス&ネイト, 氷男 [supp.], ZiL)
Drums: Ko-ki (ex-NoveLis, 氷男 [support], ZiL)

____________Singles_________________

[1.] DEAR
1.Dear
2.Distance of mind
3.睡蓮人

[2.] Take-Off
1.Take-off
2.W.B.A
3.J-guild

[3.] 『THE ViViD COLOR』 (Limited Edition)
1.69-Ⅱ
2.butterfly
3.Chroni buff
4.Hamon
5.Rain Bruno stars
+[DVD]"69-II" MUSIC CLIP + MAKING video recording

[3.] 『THE ViViD COLOR』 (Normal Edition)
1.69-Ⅱ
2.butterfly
3.Carp Kimi
4.Rain Bruno stars
5.Chroni buff
6.Ripple
7.Trail of Tears

Name: シン (Shin)
Part: Vocal
Blood type: B-type
Birthday: September 4
Height: 170
Cigarettes: No Smoking
Hobby: Billiards
Favorite brand: Monsieur Nicole
Favorite music: Classic
Message: I will walk together.
Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/vivid-shin/
Band history: Shin is probably best known for his activities as the vocalist of 秋葉原少年団☆電脳ロメオ (Akihabara Shounendan☆Dennou Romeo). Dennou Romeo was formed in April of 2006, and they were around for almost two years until they disbanded in January 2008. During these two years Dennou Romeo released two maxi-singles, one two-song single and one live-only single which contained only one song.

Almost a year passed after Dennou Romeo disbanded until Shin got into a new band. Rhyolite was formed in December 2008, and the member line-up was extremely promising; the other members were 夢時 (Yumeji) from メロ (Mello), つかさ (Tsukasa) from bis, and MINAMI from MASK. Unfortunately, however, Rhyolite disbanded after only three months of activities, in January 2009. Two months after this, Shin joined ViViD.

Name: 零乃 (Reno)
Part: Guitar
Blood type: A-type
Birthday: June 4
Height: 180
Cigarettes: Alaska
Hobby: Alcohol, darts
Favorite brand: Justin Davis, Jackrose
Favorite music: Steve Vai, Gary Moore, Eric Clapton, Dream Theater. Everything from R&B to Jazz etc. and easy listening music.
Message: I'll arouse you with my guitar.
Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/vivid-reno/
Band history: Reno's first known band was NoveLis, who also gained popularity quite quickly in their time. Just like so many other bands in this scene, however, NoveLis wasn't around for a very long time; they were formed in February 2007, and went on activity pause in September 2008. All the members except for the keyboard player 櫻 (Sakura) left the band, which resulted in an indefinite activity pause. Despite the short-livedness of the band, however, they released three maxi-singles, two one-song singles, and a full album.

After NoveLis, Reno was active in a session band called 株式会社タスキンコ (Kabushikigaisha Tasukinko) under the name 佐藤 (Satou), and played in some other session bands such as IV宮Ko-kiの憂鬱 (IV miya Ko-ki no Yuuutsu). For a couple months around December 2008, Reno was also the support guitarist for Hi:BRiD, a band formed by former members of GHOST. Reno left Hi:BRiD to join ViViD in March.

Name: 怜我 (Ryouga)
Part: Guitar
Blood type: AB-type
Birthday: November 22
Height: 178
Cigarettes: icene
Hobby: Bathing
Favorite brand: Justin Davis, Royal Order
Favorite music: 80's Rock
Message: Shut up and come along
Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/vivid-ryouga/
Band history: Before he joined ViViD, Ryouga was in fact called さち (Sachi). He started out by joining his friend's band M.cry as the support guitarist in June 2008, but he left the band already in October. (Actually, M.cry wasn't exactly his first band, but since he's keeping his first band secret I naturally can't mention the band's name here. D: ) Around the same time, he was doing lives with a session band called 大胸筋矯正サポーターズ (Daikyou Kinkyousei Supporters), whose other members were shyena from DragonWAPPPPPPER, ざくろ (Zakuro) from NOIR and ゆき (Yuki) and りょう (Ryou) from M.cry. This session band had their last live in November 2008.

Around this time, Sachi spent a short period of time as the roadie for 少女-ロリヰタ-23区 (Lolita23q). However, soon he joined IV and Ko-ki's time-limited unit ZiL, who had their first live on January 8, 2009. Ever since the beginning, they had decided that they will do only five lives as ZiL, and then they will have an announcement; and as we know, the announcement was the formation of a new band called ViViD. Sachi changed his name to Ryouga and became ViViD's guitarist.

Name: イヴ (IV)
Part: Zealous bass
Blood type: A-type
Birthday: February 16
Height: 163
Cigarettes: I don't smoke
Hobby: Watching movies, composing music, reading, muscle training, games
Favorite brand: Justin Davis, Royal Order, MALKOMALKA, MiLKDBOY, AndA, ViVienne
Favorite music: Symphonic metal, classical metal, mixture rock
Message: イッヴイヴにしてやんよ 1
Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/vivid-iv/
Band history: IV's first wellknown band was キス&ネイト (Kisnate), formed in October 2007. Kisnate was around until February 2009, but IV left the band already in July 2008. The band released at least three singles during the time IV was their member.

After Kisnate, IV was a support member for 氷男 (Iceman), オーダーメイド (Ordermade)'s vocalist Haru's project, and he occasionally had lives with his and Ko-ki's session band IV宮Ko-kiの憂鬱 (IV miya Ko-ki no Yuuutsu) as well. And then, of course, he formed the time-limited unit ZiL with Ko-ki, and after the five lives they had, ViViD was formed.

I'm not sure when exactly it was, but IV has also been a roadie for 176BIZ. I believe it was around the time when たら (Tara) was still in the band, however, because Tara and IV are good friends and IV still considers Tara his senpai (senior) and says he's the person he respects the most in the world.

1 This phrase is some kind of a famous internet slang phrase, and I'm not sure I understand it very well. D: There's not much use to translate it literally because there's more to it than the literal meaning

Name: Ko-ki
Part: CrazyDrum & DJ
Blood type: O-type
Birthday: May 1
Height: About 168 (depends on the day)
Cigarettes: I can't smoke yet★ 1
Hobby: DJ, sleeping, biting, staying indoors
Favorite brand: Vivienne Westwood, adidas, Milkboy, Dog, device, side by side, TOKYO BOPPER, Faline
Favorite music: HIPHOP etc., digital style
Message: A revolution in the drumming world. I'll change it. You guys, 1 113344449993333 2
Official Blog: http://ameblo.jp/vivid-ko-ki/
Band history: Like Reno, Ko-ki started out in NoveLis. You can read more about NoveLis' history in Reno's band history up there ↑. After NoveLis, Ko-ki did support drums for 氷男 (Iceman), and of course had session lives with his and IV's session band IV宮Ko-kiの憂鬱 (IV miya Ko-ki no Yuuutsu). Then he joined ZiL, and after ZiL came ViViD.

1 He can't smoke yet because he's still a minor.
2 This is something Ko-ki sometimes does in his blog. I don't know how to explain the Japanese cell phone dictionary system well, but if you write these numbers on a Japanese cell phone the right words come up. This one forms the words "あいしてるぜ", "I love you". ]

Sabtu, 19 Desember 2009


Profile of SuG

SuG
Sug (typeset as SuG captioned with Heavy Positive Rock) are an independent Japanese rock band, formed in 2006.
SuG is a relatively new Oshare kei band signed to the Indie-PSC label. SuG has released three singles so far (including one only distributed at live shows), appeared on an omnibus CD, and have a mini-album called I SCREAM PARTY due to release on December 19, 2007. They were recently on a short tour, followed by their appearance in Jrock Invasion episode I, at the Palladium in Cologne, Germany, on December 29, 2007. They performed alongside several other bands from their label and the larger label (PS Company).
The other bands that performed were Screw, Kagrra, the GazettE, alice nine, and Kra.



Members;
Takeru (武瑠) - Vocals
Masato - Guitar
Yuji - Guitar
Chiyu - Bass
Shinpei - Drums


Former members;
Shouta (涉歌) - Bass
Mitsuru - Drums (formerly Aoshi/葵熾)


History

Sug was formed in October 2006 by Takeru, Masato and Yuji who had all been members of another band called Travel, and Shouta. The drummer Mitsuru then joined in November of the same year.

Shouta left the band in February and was replaced by Chiyu on bass. Their first release was "7th Breeze" on the compilation album Cannonball Vol. 03. The band signed to to the visual-kei label PS Company and in August released their first single, "Scheat".

Sug have recently released an EP entitled Love Scream Party. To promote their music outside of Japan, Sug performed at "J-Rock Invasion" in Germany alongside Kagrra, Kra, Alice Nine and Screw who are also signed to CLJ Records, a German label.


Name

The name "Sug" is derived from the transliteration of the English word "thug", written in Japanese as Sagu (サグ ?). The name is then simplified to the slightly more romantic "Sug".



Discography

Albums and EPs

* I Scream Party (19 December 2007)
* N0iz Star (14 May 2008)
* Punkitsch (3 September 2008)

Singles

* "Scheat" (1 August 2007)
* "Alterna." (15 September 2007)
* "Toriko Roll-Caller" (13 December 2008)
* "39Galaxyz" (15 April 2009)

Compilations

* Canonball Vol. 3 (2 February 2007)

Rabu, 09 Desember 2009


Moi dix Mois
モワ ディス モワ
indies - active (2002 - )
profile
Moi dix Mois is the solo project of Mana (ex Malice Mizer). He writes both the music and the lyrics, and arranges, produces and publishes the releases on his own record label, Midi:Nette. The concept of Moi dix Mois is a combination of opposites: beauty and darkness, elegance and aggression, creativity and destruction. Classical elements, electric guitars, harpsichord, church organs and deep operatic vocals give Moi dix Mois a dark, often hard and sometimes quiet, melodious sound. In keeping with their gothic image, Moi dix Mois' lyrics centre around melancholy themes such as world-weariness, loss and death, but also self-awareness and critical thinking.

Mana is also responsible for the band's costumes: he and the other members wear the designs of his fashion label, Moi-même-Moitié. With their performances not limited to Japan, but extending to Europe, Moi dix Mois shows great promise for the future.
latest releases

Profile of D'espairs Ray

D'espairsRay is a Japanese rock band formed in 1999 by Hizumi, Karyu, Zero and Tsukasa. The lineup has since remained the same and as of April 2009, the group has released several singles and EPs, as well as a three full-length albums. Besides Japan, D'espairsRay have also toured Europe and North America in recent years, along with domestic releases in these territories. D'espairsRay is in bark on their 10 year anniversary with Their major Debut under UNIVERSAL Music Group/Delicious Deli Records, doing their largest nation wide Tour in Japan. July 2009 they tour in Europe; their first European Tour since 2006.

Lineup

* Hizumi – vocals
* Karyu – guitar
* Zero – bass
* Tsukasa – drums


Info of D'espairsRay Members:

Hizumi
Real name: Yoshida Hiroshi
Birthday: 02.March
Position: Vocals
Blood Type: B

Karyu
Real name: Matsumura Yoshitaka
Birthday: 07.December
Position: guitar
Blood: 0


Zero
Real name: Shimizu Michiya
Birthday: 31 July
Position: Bass
Blood: 0

Tsukasa
Real name: Oota Kenji
Birthday: 06.March
Position: Drums
Blood type: B

Profile of Kra

Kra is a Japanese rock and visual kei band on the PS Company label. They formed in August 2001 and released their first demo tape, Brise, on May 18, 2002. In,the following November, they signed on with PS Company after releasing their second demo tape, Hard Lolita. Their music is a combination of pop, rock and a bit of jazz. They have covered four songs from other PS Company bands. Kra is considered a major band, having debuted with the single, Heart Balance, on September 21, 2006.

Official homepage: http://www.pscompany.co.jp/kra/

Vocal
Name: Keiyuu
Date of Birth: February 26, 1981
Place of Birth: Numazu, Shizuoka prefecture
Blood Type: B
Height: 156cm [61.4in]
Vision: 1.0
Favorite Brand: Justin Davis, LOUIS VUITTON, BRIKO
Favorite Foods: Abalone
Hated Foods: Eggplant
Favorite Colors: Blue & Red
Attracted to: Talented & Personality
Not attracted to: Closed Minded
Treasured item: iPod Photo

Guitar
Name: Mai
Birthday: April 14, 1981 (Gunma, Japan)
Height: 170cm (5ft 5)

Bass
Name: Yuhra
Birthday: Aug 12, 1980 (Tokyo, Japan)
Blood type: A
Height: 173cm (5ft 6)

Drummer
Name: Yasuno
Birthday: Nov 4, 1977 (Osaka, Japan)
Blood type: AB
Height: 183cm (6ft)


Profile of Screw

SCREW is an indies band formed in March 2006 by vocalist Byou. It expresses the concept that "everybody has darkness inside - the poisonous chemicals of darkness have to be screwed out of the body." They were originally a four-piece band, but became a twin guitar band when Manabu joined in June 2007.


Official Lineup;
Vocals; 鋲 [Byou]
Guitar; 和己 [Kazuki]
Guitar; マナブ [Manabu]
Bass; ゆうと [Yuuto]
Drums; ジン [Jin]


Byou:
Part: Vocals
Birthday: February 9th
Blood Type: B
Constellation: The Aquarius
Cigarette Brand: PIANISSIMO One
Favorite Brands: Justin Davis/ LAGUST
Blog: http://ameblo.jp/byo-screw/


Yuuto:
Part: Bass
Birthday: June 19th
Blood Type: B
Constellation: The Gemini
Favorite Brands: NUMBER(N)INE/ABAHOUSE/LAD MUSICIAN
Blog: http://ameblo.jp/yuto-screw/

Jin:
Part: Drums
Birthday: July 22nd
Blood Type: A
Constellation: Cancer
Cigarette Brand: LarKMILDS
Favorite Brands: FUGA/Midas/Justin Davis/LOUIS VUITTON
Blog: http://ameblo.jp/jin-screw/

Manabu:
Part: Guitar
Birthday: June 23rd
Blood Type: A
Constellation: Cancer
Cigarette Brand: LUCKY STRIKE
Favorite Brands: PPFM/TK/PAUL SMITH/ GUCCI/ APPLE
Blog: http://ameblo.jp/manabu-screw/


Kazuki:
Part: Guitar
Birthday: August 5th
Blood Type: O
Constellation: Leo
Cigarette Brand: Malboro Lights Menthol
Favorite Brands: MARITHE FRANCOIS/GIRBAUD/Justin Davis/rovtski
Blog: http://ameblo.jp/kazuki-screw/