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Japanese Music (Pop, rock and all 'dat) |OT|

C

cvxfreak

Member
Many good recommendations in this thread.

Another I would recommend is Ken Hirai, who is more R&B than J-Pop, although he considers himself a Japanese pop singer. Very unique voice and he's got a good mix of songs. POP STAR is his most internationally recognized hit. Loving his recent song Sing Forever.
 
M

MattJon

Member
Shubit said:
Might sound selfish but one of the aspects of being into J-Pop (or any foreign music) that I love is, by not being played on the local channels, you've basically got a world of instantly listenable high production value mainstream music to discover on your own and enjoy in whatever capacity suits you.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. Half the fun is giving loads of different stuff a try, and finding really good artists for yourself. And you are as involved in it as you want to be, no chance of hearing someone else blasting some Perfume out of their car.

I've been lucky enough (read: spent a vast amount of money on) going over there and seeing Ayu, Kumi Koda and Perfume in concert :D Nothing like experiencing it first-hand - although me and my friend being the only non-Japanese in the whole audience makes you stand-out somewhat :lol

This thread needs more Kuu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78BibDuaqVE
 
U

UtadaBarkley

Member
MattJon said:
Excellent point. Half the fun is giving loads of different stuff a try, and finding really good artists for yourself. And you are as involved in it as you want to be, no chance of hearing someone else blasting some Perfume out of their car.

I've been lucky enough (read: spent a vast amount of money on) going over there and seeing Ayu, Kumi Koda and Perfume in concert :D Nothing like experiencing it first-hand - although me and my friend being the only non-Japanese in the whole audience makes you stand-out somewhat :lol

This thread needs more Kuu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78BibDuaqVE
Click to expand...

Wow, that's a pretty cool thing. I've thought very hard about going to see mflo while over there but I'd have to schedule a trip around their tours. The few times I've been in Japan, even Fukuoka, where Ayu is from, there's never been any decent concerts.

I was fortunate enough to catch Hikki with my wife in Chicago for the In The Flesh Tour. Amazing. Tell me more about your experience.
 
M

Metroid Killer

Member
Blablurn said:
seriously? her poker face single is about 10 years old :lol
Click to expand...
Exactl! They both started with a single called Poker Face, and they are both now the most known female popstar in their respective countries. A funny coincidence :)
 
U

UtadaBarkley

Member
Metroid Killer said:
Exactl! They both started with a single called Poker Face, and they are both now the most known female popstar in their respective countries. A funny coincidence :)
Click to expand...

Except Ayu's poker face is >>>>.
 
M

MattJon

Member
UtadaBarkley said:
Wow, that's a pretty cool thing. I've thought very hard about going to see mflo while over there but I'd have to schedule a trip around their tours. The few times I've been in Japan, even Fukuoka, where Ayu is from, there's never been any decent concerts.

I was fortunate enough to catch Hikki with my wife in Chicago for the In The Flesh Tour. Amazing. Tell me more about your experience.
Click to expand...


Errr, okay :D When I first went to Japan in 2008, it was pure co-incidence that Ayu had a concert in Tokyo during my stay. I got a ticket from a reseller shop, and went along. It was pretty awesome to be honest, and I met a couple of other non-Japanese there too, we got talking and arranged to do it all again the next year.

Last year we saw Ayu again, and also catched Perfume's "Disco!Disco!Disco!" concert, which was insane - in a good way! It was more like a nightclub than a concert.

People figured out that Ayu was recording her new album in London, so I went along and got to meet her in person too. She signed a couple of my cd's, so that was nice.

I also saw Hikki on the last night of her tour in London. Had to stand in line for hours in the freezing cold, but it was worth it in the end, as I was right near the stage, haha.

This year we saw Ayu yet again(!) and then went over to Osaka to see Kumi Koda's "Universe" tour, which was really good too. We also saw Yasutaka Nakata's (capsule) set at Club Asia.

Oh, and then my flight home was cancelled for a week due to the volcano, and I've vowed never to return to Japan! With the exchange rate the way it is, I'll give it a miss next year...


I'd like to see m-flo too - think I missed the boat on that one though They do the occasional club party, but I guess we have to wait until (if) they release another album to get touring again.
 
P

Peru

Member
Haven't read this thread, but I assume everyone loves Perfume. I watched some footage of their Tokyo Dome show and it sorta reminded me of the Daft Punk pyramid tour, it's not about whether it's actually being played lived as much as everyone in the audience being psyched as fuck partying it out with the artists to their music, to lazers, to light shows. So wanted to be there.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
I'll be the first to say I don't care for Perfume. It's not just the fact that they lipsynch everything that bothers me, their performances are just so over-manufactured that it's the same thing every time. I also don't feel like they're as charismatic as some of their predecessors.
 
P

Peru

Member
I think their performances are playful, the choreography constantly funny and good. But I'm not really in it for the performances, I just love their music.
 
M

micster

Member
MattJon said:
People figured out that Ayu was recording her new album in London, so I went along and got to meet her in person too. She signed a couple of my cd's, so that was nice.
Click to expand...
Lucky Lucky Man. If I met her I'd probably ask her to sign my copy of A Visual Mix and see what her reaction is. Would probably be funnier if I had a copy of Nothing from Nothing for her to sign. I'd guess her reaction would be a bit like when someone asked Hideo Kojima to sign a copy of Snakes Revenge when I went to the uniqlo meet in London earlier this year.

What are gaffers thinking of Ayu's new album? Im thinkin its actually shaping up really well, especially based on the previews and short PVs that have come out. I was a bit concerned because I really liked Rock 'n' Roll Circus and I wasnt sure if she could pull out two great albums in the span of like 8 months.
 
A

aceface

Member
I always think that I should bring up Rie Fu in threads like this. I honestly am not all that into J-pop music anymore, but I still listen to her CD's all the time- really good quality songwriting and piano/guitar. She was an art student who studied in London so about half of her songs are in English and I even think she tried unsuccessfully to make something of an English-language career and had some pub gigs in London.

Anyways, her best known song is probably Life is like a Boat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik8J9L5rJnc

My favorite song, Negaigoto:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awoZ2sl4zeY

Newer song with electronic production, Romantic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpN6rw8sXL0
 
B

Blablurn

Member
UtadaBarkley said:
Pretty much every cd she's dropped has been great. Her first American CD, Exodus is a classic, even.
Click to expand...

Exodus '04 is one of the best J-Pop songs ever! Listened to it all the time back then.
 
T

the_log_ride

Member
UtadaBarkley said:
Pretty much every cd she's dropped has been great. Her first American CD, Exodus is a classic, even.
Click to expand...

/looks at username & avatar :lol

'Loved her 1st album, and some of the singles she dropped after. Then some other singles here and there (that m-flo remix posted on this page is great), but wasn't really feeling much else. I'll give 'em another listen given your suggestion, though.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
She just released her second single collection (thus kicking off her hiatus). That should be a good start.
 
U

UtadaBarkley

Member
the_log_ride said:
/looks at username & avatar :lol

'Loved her 1st album, and some of the singles she dropped after. Then some other singles here and there (that m-flo remix posted on this page is great), but wasn't really feeling much else. I'll give 'em another listen given your suggestion, though.
Click to expand...

I'm not biased, promise.
 
U

UtadaBarkley

Member
micster said:
Lucky Lucky Man. If I met her I'd probably ask her to sign my copy of A Visual Mix and see what her reaction is. Would probably be funnier if I had a copy of Nothing from Nothing for her to sign. I'd guess her reaction would be a bit like when someone asked Hideo Kojima to sign a copy of Snakes Revenge when I went to the uniqlo meet in London earlier this year.

What are gaffers thinking of Ayu's new album? Im thinkin its actually shaping up really well, especially based on the previews and short PVs that have come out. I was a bit concerned because I really liked Rock 'n' Roll Circus and I wasnt sure if she could pull out two great albums in the span of like 8 months.
Click to expand...

Nothing from Nothing is amazing...I still rock that on the regular. Limit is great....

zpW4+
 
A

Aruarian Reflection

Chauffeur de la gdlk
Utada is hit or miss for me (more frequently miss), plus she's a poor live singer, often off-key and sounding like she's constantly gasping for air like a beached whale. But I gained new respect for her last month when she told her fans not to buy her US "Best Of" album because it was released against her wishes.
 
U

UtadaBarkley

Member
Aruarian Reflection said:
Utada is hit or miss for me (more frequently miss), plus she's a poor live singer, often off-key and sounding like she's constantly gasping for air like a beached whale. But I gained new respect for her last month when she told her fans not to buy her US "Best Of" album because it was released against her wishes.
Click to expand...

Man, she must have just had a one off night in Chicago, because she sounded great there.
 
E

EricHasNoPull

Banned
At a quick glance, I swear I thought the title of this thread read "J-Poop Music"

...too bad it didn't, it would have been more appropriate *leaves*
 
U

UtadaBarkley

Member
MattJon said:
Errr, okay :D When I first went to Japan in 2008, it was pure co-incidence that Ayu had a concert in Tokyo during my stay. I got a ticket from a reseller shop, and went along. It was pretty awesome to be honest, and I met a couple of other non-Japanese there too, we got talking and arranged to do it all again the next year.

Last year we saw Ayu again, and also catched Perfume's "Disco!Disco!Disco!" concert, which was insane - in a good way! It was more like a nightclub than a concert.

People figured out that Ayu was recording her new album in London, so I went along and got to meet her in person too. She signed a couple of my cd's, so that was nice.

I also saw Hikki on the last night of her tour in London. Had to stand in line for hours in the freezing cold, but it was worth it in the end, as I was right near the stage, haha.

This year we saw Ayu yet again(!) and then went over to Osaka to see Kumi Koda's "Universe" tour, which was really good too. We also saw Yasutaka Nakata's (capsule) set at Club Asia.

Oh, and then my flight home was cancelled for a week due to the volcano, and I've vowed never to return to Japan! With the exchange rate the way it is, I'll give it a miss next year...


I'd like to see m-flo too - think I missed the boat on that one though They do the occasional club party, but I guess we have to wait until (if) they release another album to get touring again.
Click to expand...

Nice synopsis. You've done a lot! Ayu multiple times...and in person no less.
 
M

micster

Member
Blablurn said:
anyone listened to the new ayumi hamasaki album? man i love "love song". great song.
Click to expand...
Yeah and im tres disappointed with it. Theres a couple of great tracks but bar that its just tedium. I was actually really looking forward to it, especially based on the previews, but it was just meeh
 
B

Blablurn

Member
micster said:
Yeah and im tres disappointed with it. Theres a couple of great tracks but bar that its just tedium. I was actually really looking forward to it, especially based on the previews, but it was just meeh
Click to expand...

at least its better than rock 'n roll circus. unfortunately it seems like the old ayu will never come back. after rainbow everything went downhill. too bad i became i fan during the rainbow period
the last sentence sounds a little strange :D
 
Antiochus

Antiochus

Member
Blaburn,

Again thanks creating this thread. However, per the requests of the previous posters, would it be possible for you to change or modify partially the title of the thread? Something more along the lines of J-music or Japanese music, so as to broaden the "audience"? We're almost at the end of the year if not the decade, and can really use some more posts. Kpop Gaf has a music scene almost 5x smaller yet has 5X more posts than this thread...


More will come later.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
Antiochus said:
Blaburn,

Again thanks creating this thread. However, per the requests of the previous posters, would it be possible for you to change or modify partially the title of the thread? Something more along the lines of J-music or Japanese music, so as to broaden the "audience"? We're almost at the end of the year if not the decade, and can really use some more posts. Kpop Gaf has a music scene almost 5x smaller yet has 5X more posts than this thread...
Click to expand...

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=167336
 
B

Blablurn

Member
Antiochus said:
Ah I see. Unfortunately, its been more than 9 months out of date. Perhaps it would be possible to merge those two threads? If not, then the title of this one can remain the same. Nonetheless, it would be much more fruitful in the future if we simply stick to one Japanese music OT thread instead of creating half a dozen every year. Hopefully this one can serve that role....
Click to expand...

korean pop is the new shit D:

but i will ask a mod to change the title! no problem here.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
My issue is that once it turns into a general music thread, people automatically become more hostile towards the pop music and then it's all about posting "real" music. But whatever...
 
B

bathala

Banned
I used to be a big Jpop fan when I was in college

Ayumi Hamasaki CD, posters, and calendar. Also, Do as Infinity Dvd. Having Japan Town close by doesn't help either.

I still listen to some J-music if I feel like downloading Oricon monthly charts
 
Antiochus

Antiochus

Member
Zoe said:
My issue is that once it turns into a general music thread, people automatically become more hostile towards the pop music and then it's all about posting "real" music. But whatever...
Click to expand...

Possibly. But currently, the reverse is happening. Those interested in more diverse genres of music are repelled by the perceived singular focus on "mainstream" pop music, rather or not its true.
 
E

Enron

Banned
G-Fex said:
Yes Brilliant Green is great, and I'll always love Tommy February6.
Click to expand...


The Brilliant Green is great, but her Tommy-whatever stuff is pretty horrible.

also: Kimura Kaela~
 
Antiochus

Antiochus

Member
Alrigth, with the New Year, if not the New Decade, in sight, it'll be great if any or everyone here with even a smattering of J-music knowledge help give their Best of the Decade list(s). Undoubtedly everyone will benefit by remembering great acts of years gone by and new ones yet to be discovered.

To throw a starter, I 'll post mine's. It is not a catalog of my absolute, personal favorites, but rather one that is somewhat more holistic, integrative. One that is more comprehensive and aware of both the commercial mainstream and the indie, underground, and experimental acts. Music that not only building upon existing Western genres but also stretching and broadening them to their musical limits. Listening to them, you would not know how to really classify them or be able to recognize where one genre ends and another begins. That, is what makes listening to J-music so rewarding.

Without further adieu, from the bottom to the top:

#10

Utada Hikaru's "Deep River" (2002)

utadahikaruDEEP-RIVER.jpg



#9
M-flo's "EXPO EXPO" (2001)
Mflo_expo_expo.jpg
 
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