Laurence02

I always just saw any Nazi/fascist/political paraphernalia as being a shock/edgy/ironical factor - its like when black metal bands put pictures of burning churches and inverted crosses/Satanic imagery on their album covers and videos. Most (note that I say MOST) of those bands aren't really Satanist/Christian killers or anything, they just do it to be scary and fit the intensity of the music. Western punk bands in the 70's/80's used to do similar stuff - heck, Sid Vicious wore that swastika T-shirt for a while, but I think their is evidence contrary that he was a Nazi supporter. A LOT of old visual kei bands were Sex Pistols/Vicious fans too, so they may just be imitating their idols? Visual kei is similar; it is (or at least it originally was) about pushing the boundaries of expression in their culture - a swastika armband is making a statement or it wouldn't be there. I doubt it is something taken lightly in mainstream Japan, even if it is somehow "less offensive."
Though they are not visual kei - I think a good example is from a quote from a Japanese punk band who called themselves "The Stalin." Michiro Endo chose the name because "Stalin is a very hated person and it would be good for our image."
I think if bands have a message to convey at all it is better than nothing. I think if they can write a good song about the wars, sex, crime, religion, or culture and it actually means something to them besides "lets scare old ladies" than I'm fine with it.
Anyways that's all my thoughts on it. ^^

Cool project!  I really like the "Lay To Rest" song, and also "Dystopia."  Especially "Dystopia."  Apparently we were on the Decadent Society Volume 2 together!
 
As for the singing, I like it!  I think you've got a cool gothic-y voice.  Don't let the haters get to you.  You are on key, good pitch.  I'm not much of a fan of most music with screaming, so I can't comment on the screaming, as that is just a personal preference.
 
I've released a number of things now, and my earlier stuff, some of it I now cringe at my vocals, but some people really loved those albums.  And some reviewers tore them apart.  Some reviews were so bad they made me laugh!  Whenever an absolutely awful review comes out for my music, I think of Motley Crue describing how all their albums up until Dr. Feelgood were just ripped apart by "professional" reviewers.  They said they usually wouldn't even read reviews of their albums, but they also said that bad ones were great publicity.  They said that they really didn't care what reviewers thought because it wasn't about them, it was about the fans.
 
Especially on my first two albums that I sang on, I got a good bit of criticism on my vocals.  I got a lot of "he's not using his range very well" and "he sounds bored".  Largely because of that feedback, I've worked more on my voice, as I have a generally low voice.  I've gotten much more confident over the years, so now there's not much criticism.  But every once in a while there is.  I try to take that criticism with a grain of salt, put it in my mind, and maybe work on that a little for the next song.  But like Motley, for me its not about reviewers, it's about the fans.  They are a much better judge of what you are doing.
 
I'm by no means a guru on any of this, but I find that it helps to listen to the criticism, laugh and say "man, fu¤% that guy," think about what they meant, and how it could potentially improve your sound.
 
Great work, keep doing what you are doing, keep pushing the envelope, and strive to get better at what you do every single time.  If you try something and it sounds like crud, analyze the situation and get back at it.
 
I'm gonna buy the album

I agree with this! I know all music forums have both leechers and active community members, but in my personal opinion quite a bit of visual kei fans have started to feel so incredibly entitled lately to have the releases they want on the release date and if they don't they start throwing hissyfits about it. The really old VK veterans had to trade to get the stuff they wanted, they had to climb mountains, cross rivers, fight dragons for that one Gazette release
 
I remember when someone bought the limited edition of an album and uploaded it and also promised to make a DVD rip and people legitly started spamming their thread with impatient and rude messages as to why the DVD (which was a full live DVD in ISO so you can imagine the size of that file + the time it would need to rip/upload) wasn't uploaded yet only two days after the initial album was posted.
 
People need to realize that behind every file there is a person who bought that release, probably paid a shitload for shipping (if they're physical copies) and then was so kind to rip it to their computer in a good quality and share it with the rest of the world. You don't even have to press thanks or even say it, I just wish more people realized this before they start calling someone a liar or an ass.
 
Though concerning bitrate, I've always been on CAT's side with this: share it to the fullest or don't share at all. People who upload releases in 128-192kbps and say "go buy the album if you want a better quality" are obviously not sharing the release to share awesome music and give one of their favourite artists more exposure, but purely because they want a big e-penis. "Oh look at my 320/Lossless rip of that album that you can't have lol", is something I'm very much against. On one side I'm like "yeah okay I'm happy people share it at all" (especially since I've gotten into a lot of Japanese regular indie music, where it's a lot harder to come by releases than it is in VK) but sharing bad quality isn't going to solve the problem. If you really share a lower bitrate to have more people buy the album, then I've got some news for you: it doesn't work. A lot of VK fans don't care about bitrate that much (as long as it's listenable), especially if they're young and don't have the cash to import VK CDs from Japan. I actually would feel more opposed to purchasing an album I only have an 128 rip of because it misses a lot of details that I can hear in a 320 rip. Good quality can just really enhance the musical experience, at least, that's how I see it. People who want to buy the album will buy it anyway, this "here's a low quality"-method doesn't work and it makes you look like a douche, sorry.
 
tl;dr - share to the fullest or don't share at all
 
SORRY FOR THE LONG POST.

Oh, come on ...of course it's crap! It's just a selection based on personal whims rather than any historical importance of forgotten bands that never went anywhere, barely released jack, didn't have a particular impact on any scene etc.
 
But it's good crap! I love this sort of crap! I stand for my poor taste
 
Nah, but seriously - thanks again! I'll try to get something new up this weekend if I find the time.
Hopefully, it wont be too bad PM:ed you about FRUSTRATION btw!
 
Yeah, 水色の太陽 just hit me like a rock for some reason ...just felt like a pure VK piece, you know? Like something that really couldn't be born out of another genre (maybe not the preferred nomenclature here, but I do think you can classify early, post-LUNA SEA visual kei as a genre of it's own ...but that's another story).
Actually hunted down and bought me a copy of the tape, even though I don't have a working tape deck ATM, haha!
 
There were definitely some gems in Hiko's post-PVLN career, "Vibration" being a personal fave:
 

 
I was in touch with dude on Facebook ...really super nice dude. Was hoping to meet him in Japan when I manage to haul ass over there for a visit, but it seems shit does indeed happen.
 
 

None of this stuff is necessarily rare, maybe to white people (because white people are dumb) but the personal and nostalgia value is certainly rather high for these items!
Aliene Ma'riage - Les Soiree, the big obnoxious clock version! It's so cool! And it still works!
Aliene Ma'riage - Les Soiree photobook
Aliene Ma'riage - Photo set
Aliene Ma'riage - Shimobe VHS
Birushana - 回顧録～番外編～
Noir Fleurir - DEFLOWER
Kuroageha - demos and omnibuses with earlier songs and Night Melody VHS.
I also got a bunch of old Shoxx, Fool's Mate and V-Shot magazines from the late 90s. Lots of cool photos and articles from owld skewl bands.
Oh yeah, for La'Mule, Vasalla, Phobia, Lamiel and Kuroageha to some extent, I have magazine clippings, flyers, signed papers, set lists and other little goodies some bat shit fan kept over the years then finally decided to sell on Yahoo for peanuts. I know for sure I have set lists for Lamiel and Kuroageha, I wonder if she stole it off the stage after their gig? LOL?

Outside of Kamaitachi, the other bands are not in any order what so ever.  Kamaitachi has pretty much been ruling the #1 spot for 8+ years, so I think it's going to take a lot to dethrone them. 
Kamaitachi Color Strawberry Fields BY-SEXUAL Baiser La'cryma Christi La'Mule Luna Sea D=OUT Irokui The bottom five artists often rotate in and out of my top 10 list with other artists that's not on the list, but this is what I've been digging a lot lately.

By the way, for anyone who might be curious, this was the playlist of the night!
 
Klubb Lunacy 1/9 Grand Revival 「† Return of Visual "Monster" †」 Setlist

Klubb Lunacy 21:00 - 22:30

ROUAGE - めざめのうたげ (Mesame no Utage) | 1994
emmuree - グロセックス (Gurosex) | 2000
deadman - Blood | 2001
Baiser - Dye | 1995
D≒SIRE - JESUS? | 1995
Madeth gray'll - 狂死曲 (Kyoushikyoku) | 1999
Dir en grey - Ash | 1998
Sleep my Dear - Flowers | 1997
sukekiyo - 黝いヒステリア (Aoguroi Hysteria) | 2017
Girugamesh - Decieved Mad Pain | 2005
lynch. - unknown lost a beauty | 2005
Versailles - The Red Carpet Day | 2007
摩天楼オペラ (Matenrou Opera) - honey drop | 2007
LUNA SEA - ROSIER | 1994
BUCK-TICK - スピード (Speed) | 1991
Dir en grey - Unknown...Despair...a Lost | 1998
Rentrer en Soi - PROTOPLASM | 2007
MUCC - ファズ (Fuzz) | 2007
Plastic Tree - Ghost | 2005
Malice Mizer - 月下の夜想曲 (Gekka no Yasoukyoku) | 1998
D'espairsRay - Garnet | 2003

-DJ Dispo set- 22:30 - 00:00 (order might not be 100% accurate)

DADAROMA - リズリーサーカス (Risley Circus) | 2016
NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST - Strike in fact | 2014
SCAPEGOAT - 眠れない僕の趣味 (Nemurenai Boku no Shumi) | 2015
0.1gの誤算 (0.1g no Gosan) - 溺愛ヤンデレボーイ (Dekiai Yandereboi) | 2017
Lycaon – 残酷のサロメ (Zankoku no Salome) | 2013
アルルカン (Arlequin) - 像 (Zou) | 2014
ゴシップ (Gossip) - R-18 | 2015
蜉蝣 (Kagerou) - XII Dizzy | 2004
黒夢 (Kuroyume) - 親愛なるDEATH MASK (Shinainaru DEATH MASK) | 1993
AvelCain - PSYCHO -サイコ- | 2014
Mejibray - Sadisgate | 2012
Dir en grey - 脈 (Myaku) | 2000
蜉蝣 (Kagerou) - 根暗高速子守唄 (Nekura Housoku Komoriuta) | 2003
黒百合と影 (kuroyuri to kage) - 「便所２」 (benjo 2) | 2016
DEZERT - 「胃潰瘍とルソーの錯覚。」 (Ikaiyou to Rousseau no Sakkaku) | 2014
D'espairsRay - 「タトエバ」キミ...ガ...シンダ...ラ ([Tatoeba]Kimi...ga...Shinda..ra) | 2002
MUCC - 我、在ルベキ場所 (Ware, Arubeki Basho) | 2003
The Gazette - Beautiful 5 [shit]ers | 2003
グリーヴァ (Grieva) - 幻影Syndrome (Genei Syndrome) | 2016
Phantasmagoria - NEO ARK | 2005
phobia - 「Ⅵ」ײ section | 2000
Due' le quartz - 自殺願望 (Jisatsu Ganbou) | 2000
Penicillin - Blue Moon | 1996
Buck-Tick - … in heaven … | 1988

Klubb Lunacy 00:00 - 03:00

DENTAKU - エフエルアウトライン (FL Outline) *Background music while announcing outfit competition winner.* 
X Japan - 紅 (Kurenai) | 1989
Dir en grey - GAUZE MEDLEY (Schwein no Isu -> Tsumi to Batsu -> 304 Goushitsu, Hakushi no Sakura -> Yurameki -> Yokan -> MASK -> ZAN) | 1999
Gackt - Vanilla | 2000
An Cafe - Smile Ichiban Ii Onna | 2006
ゴールデンボンバー (Golden Bomber) - Dance My Generation | 2013
Girugamesh - evolution | 2008
cali≠gari - マグロ (Maguro) | 2001
deadman - follow the night light | 2005
D'espairsRay - MIRROR | 2007
MUCC - 大嫌い (Daikirai) | 2002
Dir en grey - CLEVER SLEAZOID | 2005
Girugamesh - Shining | 2007
The GazettE - HEADACHE MAN | 2009
NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST - DESPERATE | 2014
DADAROMA - 溺れる魚 (Oboreru Sakana) | 2014
MEJIBRAY - DECADANCE - Counting Goats … if I can't be yours - | 2013
Malice Mizer - Beast of Blood | 2001
Versailles - Zombie | 2008
Dir en grey - 鱗 (Uroko) |2014
X Japan - X | 1989
Luna Sea - SHADE | 1991
黒夢 (Kuroyume) - JESUS | 1993
La'Mule - ナイフ (Knife) | 2000
hide - Rocket Dive | 1998
LAREINE - 冬東京 (Fuyuu Tokyo) | 2000
D'espairsRay - "forbidden" | 2005
Dir en grey - OBSCURE | 2003
UnsraW - -9- | 2006
Maximum the Hormone - 絶望ビリー (Zetsubou Billy) | 2007
The Gazette - Ruder | 2005
Girugamesh - 終わりと未来 (Owari to Mirai) | 2006
蜉蝣 (Kagerou) - 絶望にサヨナラ (Zetsubou ni Sayonara) | 2005
MUCC - 絶望 (Zetsubou) | 2002
D'espairsRay - in vain | 2005
Dir en grey - raison detre | 1999
Malice Mizer - illuminati | 1998
Malice Mizer - 月下の夜想曲 (Gekka no Yasoukyoku) | 1998
Gackt - Vanilla | 2000
The GazettE - Filth in the beauty | 2006
Dir en grey - THE FINAL | 2004

To be continued in Lunacy vol.2... †††

Здравствуйте!
Hello there!
First of all, I admire your selection of bands, you've got some good ones there.
Your English is very good too!

Hi! I'm from Russia. I introduced to visual kei fandom in 2015. I like dark and aggressive kotekote >•< My favorite bands (active): Grieva*, La'veil MizeriA, Crucifixion, Ru:natic and many more; (disbanded): gossip (VARYL Hiro's old band), Azalea, MerCurius, Beata, Pyuera, Sadiesmarry, etc. 
 
I'm still hard to speak English. For me, staying in an English-speaking forum is a kind of test.
 
I hope that I will not be useless. Peace )))

Hi I'm Khouji, I've been a fan of J-rock since high school which was 12 years ago. I do like the soundtrack from Gundam Wing, Samurai X, Hunter X Hunter, Ghost Fighter etc. Please welcome me!

X Japan. 
There's a reason why people think that their indie years (and up until until 1993, when they released "Art of Life") are the best years.
I simply do not like the later ballads as much anymore. 

Everyone talks about Kisaki and I dropped my jaw seeing Gigaslave again active? If it's the old school visual metal band though. lol 

http://image-complex.occult-proposal.net/images.html
 
Hey everyone -- after much delaying and wasting time, I've made some pretty big updates to the scans page. Now, each artist is broken up into their scans' respective albums or categories (as some bands are only flyers or magazine articles) and feature preview icons. I may split this page out to be smaller chunks of bands (like A-F, G-M, etc) in the future, but for now I'm just happy I finally got that over with  
 
I currently do not have a scanner, so adding more scans of the CDs I own will take some time. I do plan on transcribing some more lyrics into kana and romaji soon, so at least I'll still be able to provide some updates.
 
Additionally, I've made a Twitter account for the site. I plan to use this to blast out update notifications as well as share some cool vkei-related content I stumble across. Checkout @ZombieXJuice if you're interested  

Ja, vad annars ska man heta?
Finns det folk på flashback vid namn "oboyglas", kan man väl heta Bygghandel också?
Tackar och bockar! 
 

Hello there!
My name's Laurence, aka LivingForTomorrow, aka Bygghandel in some places.
Nice to meet you all. I like old-school kote kei most of all.
Cheers!