Japanese music

[Kliban Katz]

I heard some Japanese rap on IO and I was a little shaken up.. I don't care what language it is, rap IS NOT something I like.

The only Jmusic I can seem to find are from anime series. I don't have any music download software and they might be a little redundant, so I'll just hold off on em. The local Coconuts' and FYE's don't exactly stock a lot of international music either.


Just a thought. Has anyone come across that anime internet radio? Ichi-something@ I forget? I had the address before my computer crashed. Dunno what's goin on with it now. Just curious.

[Kliban Katz]

ebear215 wrote:
I love Nami Tamaki

Wootie!

[TokyoStyleChick]

hitomi
浜崎あゆみ
華原朋美
NAMIE AMURO (don't know how to write her name in kanji)
松田聖子
鈴木あみ
林檎椎名
倉木まい
中島みか
後藤真木
幸田くみ
相川七瀬
yaida hitomi
hitomi shimatani

(not really sure on everyone's names so bare w/ me, lol)

[WacKostRacKo]

Takagi Masakatsu is really good, his work is really inspirational and very relaxing. anyone know of any good japanese dance music artists(preferably breaks)?

[ayaito]

i absolutely love visual kei and jrock. i heart a forty second clip of bel air by malice mizer and to my dismay found that iTunes didnt have anything other than the boring american stuff.

my favourite bands:
malice mizer
psycho le cemu
larc en ciel
moi dix mois
camui gackt (solo)
gazette
glay
dir en grey

[aKuMu]

First of all i have to mention - Mucc.
Really great band imho. (saw them live )
Dir en grey (saw them live)
Kagerou (saw them live)
Moi dix Mois (saw them also life xd)
Orange Range
Dragon Ash
GO!GO!7188
Mo-Flo
Utada Hikaru
Saeko
Nightmare
lynch
Nana Kitade
Onmyouza
Morning Musume (funny XD)
Ayumi Hamasaki
Aya Matsuura
Gazette
Intestine Baalism
Penicillin
Vidoll
X-Japan
Mask
12012
Blood stain child
Tyrant
Sex machineguns


these are some of my favorite bands/artists.. im sure i forgot a few.
All realy different stuff

[onyxdragonflyy]

I have some suggestions. If you like Japanese pop try:
Larc en Ciel (they did 'Ready Steady Go' for Full Metal Alchemist),
Janneda Arc,
T.M. Revolution,
Pierrot,
Aya,
Do As Infinity,
and Hyde (the singer for Larc en Ciel who sometimes goes solo).

If you prefer something more to rock try:
Dir en Grey,
D'espairsRay,
Nightmare,
Miyavi,
MUCC,
Gazzette,
Buck Tick,
Malice Mizer,
and the classsic Japanese rock band X-Japan.
(Gackt fits in here some where... don't ask why.)

To find sites where you can listen to these artists I reccomend going to Yahoo and typing in "jrock rotation". Go to the sites, read the rules the web host places before downloading the song, and you are good to go!

If you like what you hear you can always go online and purchase the artists music through online stores such as YesAsia, JpopHelp.com, Play-Asia.com, and cdjapan.co.jp.

Domo arigatou gozaimas'ta! Onyxdragonflyy desh'ta!

[Niphridell]

No one's mentioned Guniw Tools/Nookicky yet?

A few of my favorite bands:

Guniw Tools: They're a very unusual bunch. The sound varies from rock, to pop, to almost electronic. Sometimes there's even a slight Hindu influence (or at least that's what it sounds like to me). I'd certainly give them a try if nothing else.
(fav songs: Ladybird's Sleeping Art, Plenty of Flour, Baby's One Do)

Nookicky: The lead singer of Guniw Tools's "other" band, this band is a little softer, and poppier in sound I think, but the idea is generally the same.
(fav songs: Rotten, Slipping Star, Itchy Pupy Come)

Shiina Ringo: She's been mentioned before, but I thought I'd reccomend her again. She's got a very unique style, going between a sort of jazzy, to rock, to an orchestrated sound. Very lovely, and often escentric music.
(fav songs: La Salle de Bain, Stoicism, Rinne Highlight)

Buck-Tick: I have to put in a good word for good ol' Sakurai. Buck-Tick generally has a darker feel to it. There's a lot of heavy beats and smooth vocals with rock/electronic overtones.
(fav songs: Muma-The Nightmare, Romance, Gesshoku)


Hmm...personally I don't like Gackt that much >.< I agree with him getting pretty repetitive. lol And I'm sort of holding a grudge since Malice Mizer's break up but that's just me. lol

[C0kaCoLa]

I like larc en ciel awake album...im also new to jmusic and this is the first jmusic i tried..now im looking for ballads...r there any artist which sings ballads songs??i dont want pop...and i want them singing japanese not some japanese singing english songs

[Kamaruka]

my fav bands is Do As Infinity and BoA but do as infinity rocks to me. Tomiko voice is rare in my book and so is BoA, she has that softness to her voice. even though i dont really know what thier saying, the music is still cool!!!:D

[Sakura_Mitsuki]

Tamaki Nami is EXCELLENT i reccomend most of her songs, but there are too many bands to name in this, so i'll let the experts tell you!

[samspacifico]

Doesn't anyone here listen to any japanese indie or shibuya kei etc.. type stuff? The music ive heard from japan was one of the first things that got me so interested in japan. to me no other countries music has had so much individuality and such a wide variety of it. I also like a lot of the popular stuff in japan like dir en grey, gackt, nami tamaki etc. but there is much more music from japan that i listen to. Much of the music i listen to your average music listener would probably be disregarded and thought of as not even music because i enjoy a lot of individuality in music.
Not just a good beat or great voice that i can listen to and bob my head to in the background. thats not to discourage you from checking out the vast variety of music japan has to offer mind you. I'll list a few of my favorite japanese bands right now, but there are a lot more that i like and there is definatly a lot more great music for me to discover!

Tujiko Noriko- she has the most soothing vocal melodies that she backs up with a lot of IDM style electronics.

Melt Banana-crazy fast punk/grindcore sounding band with very experimental guitar and a japanese women lead singer/screecher.

Takagi Masakatsu: mentioned above but one of my favorites.

Takako Minekawa: also a favorite.

Piana: Slow but very good relaxing music, another female musicians with mostly electronics as well as her beautiful voice.

Afrirampo: A very Raw and Experimental group. female guitar and drums duo.

Boredoms: this band is very good and many of their CDs are very atmospheric and some are very strange like deconstructed rock songs with strange vocals.

Boris: a rock group. very loud and good. (i don't know how to describe it)

Clammbon: a dub/rock group that is very similar to Supercar or Fishmans

Ex-Girl: an all girl japanese rock band.

Guitar wolf: another alt. rock band

Halcali: kind of a mix between pop and i wouldnt call it rap but more like fast singing. mostly female vocals.

Judy and Mary: very good, I think this group was quite popular but are broken up. not sure though.

Polysics: a rock/pop kinda sounding group

Ruins: a drum and bass duo that are amazing

Tokyo jihen: one of my favorite groups shiina ringo is awesome.

Koenji Hyakkei: a group that is very unique. I really cant find the words to describe.

I would also recommend listening to some japanese composers who make music for videogames and anime type stuff. I don't know very many of them but a few i do know are:

Yuki Kajiura: she does the music for the .hack anime series and Noir among others.

Noriyuki Asakura: I really like the music to The Tenchu videogame series and he composed it.

Joe Hisaishi: Does the music for most of Hasao Miyasaki's films and most of Takeshi "Beat" Takano's films as well.

Akira Yamaoka: Does all the music to the Silent hill games among other things.

There is also a ton of great electronic music from japan that i love to listen to. but Im beginning to ramble to much... so i hope some of you will maybe try listening to some of these bands if possible but if not I had fun writing about em anyways!

[El Diego]

Songs and Bands:
- L`Arc En Ciel:
- Heaven's Drive
- Link
- Ready Steady And Go!
- Fourth Avenue Cafe
- BOA:
- Duvet (Of Course...)
- Galneryus: (For the power metal lovers...)
- Silent Revelation
- Hayashibara Megumi
- Midnigth Blue
- The Yellow Monkey
- Asian Kung Fu Generation

Well, those are some of the better.... recommended!

[Sukebe Uchuujin]

[center]Ive hardly ever listened to J-pop/Rock/Hip-pop or whatever we are calling it......
But last night i went to see 'Acid Android' in Shibuya......
one of the guys from L'arc en ciel i believe....

(even better was that i got in for free on a 'press' pass!!!)

They were really good!!!

Hard rock sort of thing with synths (and the campest synth player ive EVER seen)

Anyway......maybe worth checking out........

And thanks for all the suggestions as to what to download.....oops i mean listen too [/center]

[becks23]

m-flo!! B) Come on be fair, not all JRap is bad. Ukatrats FC(colabo of 11 JPop stars for Winning Eleven including Sowelu, Gaku-MC and Emi Hinouchi) had a great single with Win and Shine (Produced by Taku of m-flo B)) Rip Slyme, ketsumeishi, Chemistry, nobodyknows+, Soul'd Out, Home Made Kazouku, all great artists. Teriyaki Boyz are up there too(Verbal of m-flo B) with Illarz and Royz of Rip Slyme and Wise) but they have a major american influence(Tokyo Drift anyone??)JRap gone bad...I guess you could say ZEEBRA with his DMX wanna be style.

Not all Japanese rap is bad. Orange Range is pretty good. I like their song "Shanghai Honey" a lot.

ORANGE RANGE is not Rap, nowhere close. If you like Shanghai Honey, give Locolotion, Onegai Senorita and Asterix a listen.

My list of artists, with a highlight song, would be something like...
m-flo (Lotta Love loves MINMI)
TERIYAKI BOYZ (THE TAKEOVER)
HOME MADE 家族 (ON THE RUN)
Rip Slyme (Galaxy)
CHEMISTRY (Two as One)
Def Tech (My Way)
ASIAN KUNG FU GENERATION (World Apart)
L'Arc〜En〜Ciel (LOST HEAVEN)
SOUL'D OUT (Starlight Destiny)
UVERworld (Just Melody)
nobodyknows+ (SUMMER)
ORANGE RANGE (Walk On)
ZZ (Samurai Blue)
ケツメイシ (トモダチ)

As you can see, I like a mix between rock and rap. Favourite group is easily m-flo B).