As I said when I started this blog there is no genre of music that is off limits, but after this I will change that statement that there is no genre of music that is relative to the industry that is off limits. The reason being is that my daughter called me out on the no genre off limits thing so I let her write this blog, and this style of music is what she is currently into. I hope you all enjoy this post.
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In Japan, the most popular type of music is often referred to as ‘J-rock’ or Japanese Rock.
Often times when people hear about or even listen to Japanese Rock music, they have this idea in their head that it’s just another type of music, that the Japanese were copying the Americans when American rock music first started, but that isn’t true. J-Rock got its start back in the 1960’s when The Beatles performed at Bodokun. The music intrigued the Japanese in such a way that they started to play their own music, but without copying the Americans. In America, rock music was often about sex, drugs and revolution, but the Japanese, being the conservative type of people that they usually are, didn’t want anything having to do with that. J-Rock is cleaner and very drug-free.
The very first Japanese rock music was still as rebellious as the Western alternative, only it mainly focused on the political issues going on in everyday life. The 1960’s became a very important decade in the Japanese music culture; especially for the fact the Kyoto student rebellion took place in that time period (which happened to have a very big impact in the whole entire J-Rock world). In the beginning, the sound was much like the sound you would’ve found here in America, but as the time passed, the sound (as well as the look) changed rapidly. Visual Kei (often referred to as ‘VK’) was born.
When people think about the VK look, they often think of the term “Emo,” which would be the American version of it, they never stop to think where the American version originated or even why it did; but it did come from VK. There are also a-lot of “sub-styles” that evolved from the Visual Kei look.
1) Visual Kei is the darker more “scary” type of music, much like the “Emo” music Americans have; but it’s so much more then that. Visual Kei has to do with a movement among Japanese artists that is labeled by the use of colorful and sometimes completely “out there” type of looks, and often includes lots of dark make-up and elaborate costumes. It also often (but not always) includes aesthetic. Most inside sources have said the the VK’s clothing and make-up is just their participation (which also happens to be just as important as the music itself).
2) Nagoya Kei is another “sub-style” of VK and is centered all around (and in) the city of Nagoya, Japan. VK is usually darker than the VK style and is greatly influenced by British “punk rock” but quickly turned into “gothic” and/or death-metal in the late 1970’s and early 80’s.
3) Oshare Kei is a Japanese music and fashion style (much like all of the other “sub-styles” of VK). Oshare bands are unlike any of the other styles in the way that they are bouncy, bright, and generally happy. Both the music and the style try very hard to send out a positive message to the listeners. The songs are normally about friends and relationships. When people think of the term “Oshare Kei” they often also think of Decora, and that is simply because that is what influenced the whole OK look in the first place. OK is the newest style that has come out of VK; it started back in 2001 by Ryo of Baroque in their PV (official video) "Anakuro Film".
4) Lolita is another “sub-style” of VK; it is pretty much a fashion sub-culture in Japan that was greatly influenced by Victorian style clothing. The unique thing about the Lolita fashion is that it became unique simply by adding “gothic” elements to the look itself.
I’m always getting asked why I like this type of music so much in the first place, and it’s very hard for me to answer that question. The music itself is just so unique, you can almost hear the history in it… but to do that, you’ve got to listen with an open mind and you’ve also got to understand why the songs are written the way that they are. There aren't a lot of people outside Japan that really find the music fascinating, and that is also part of what makes it so unique.
An example of VK music is
Miyavi – Jibun Kazumei
An example of NK music is…
Lynch – Ambivalent Ideal
An example of OK music is…
SuG - 39GalaxyZ
An example of Lolita music is…
Lolita23q – Siren Blue.
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