#(it’s from a song by my favorite visual kei band)

[2goldendarkness]

I usually reblog, rather than make my own posts, but seeing everyone in the gaze community deal with their grief by writing things down has given me some courage to do the same. I hope it will help me in my grieving process and i hope to help everyone who does relate to what i write. So this will be my farewell letter.

Dear Reita,

I got the news seven days too late, like how it usually is for me coming into a fandom.

I became a fan about 8 years ago, i was doing a creative education as a designer, listening to random music on Youtube with autoplay. Suddenly i found Red, the first song that got me into the Gazette, i was glued to my screen and intrigued with the looks of all members. But why the hell was that one guy wearing a band around his nose? I needed to get into it. So i did.

The gazette then became my first and favorite Visual kei band, i’ve been trough a lot in my life and whenever hardship struck me, there was always an interview that would make me laugh. When i had boring days in school we even played a game, my friends would ask me “why is he covering his nose?” And i would make up the weirdest stories on the spot. That resulted in some charms with titles like ‘reita and the smelly drummer.’ And ‘reita the drugs dealer.’ It varied from poking fun and making up the stupidest thing, to making you some cool guy who fought bad guys. It would always make us laugh, even though, i was making up these stories to friends who weren’t even necessarily in the fandom, because everyone who saw you once, knew your name and so knew who you were.

I wrote fanfiction, many in where you play a big part of the story, not as a love interest, but as a brother of a character based off of me. All because you once said in a radio show that you feel like you’d be a great older brother, hell did i take you up on that one.

I never got to see The Gazette live, i used to curse you all for skipping my country and forcing me to travel for 5 hours to see you all. In 2018 i was almost at that point, but i couldn’t go because of my exams and because i had no friends who wanted to come with me. I always promised myself: one day, i will see them.

It hurts me to realize that day will never come, at least you won’t be there anymore. I accidentally open instagram, and find a grief post written by Hiroto of Alice nine, in the hashtags your name. Shock, that’s the first thing i felt. I must be going crazy. But next up was Miyavi’s post and as i read that it slowly starts downing upon me, my heart sinks to my stomach and a lump forms in my throat as i rush to jrocknews to confirm they aren’t just playing a sick joke.

I start crying like most of the sixth guns, but only after i start reading the members messages. Why am i crying? We’ve lost a talented bass player who inspired so many people to also start making music. The world lost ‘the world’s Reita’ who was always poking fun at the drummer. The bookstores lost their most unexpected romance buyer. Many lost their source of love and joy. I’ve lost my fictional brother.

But most importantly, your actual family lost a loving family member who bought his mother an entire house to repay her for raising him well. The Gazette lost a member. Kai lost his fear during interviews of whatever you are going to say next. Ruki lost being in your personal space no matter how big the dressing room. Aoi lost the person who’s jokes he could laugh the hardest about. Uruha lost his longtime best friend, and now can no longer feel your heart racing before the show, nor can he feel your hand searching for his heart.

I hope everyones feelings reach you, i hope that whichever way you passed, was peaceful and without pain. I hope that whenever it is our time, you come in your mustang to pick everyone up. Usually as a driving instructor i call shotgun, but i’ll leave that space to your close relatives. That way i can’t judge you for turning around while parking, rather than using your mirrors.

Thank you for everything Reita, you will never be forgotten. Once my grief is gone, i promise to remember you with a smile rather than cry. I also promise to be a fan of The Gazette no matter what they decide to do now you’re gone.

And to whomever read my entire message, thank you for reading this unhinged post.

#rip reita #personal #the gazette

[a9saga]

tbt - alice nine - subete e

I’m still in love with everything... Apparently, I just cant hate this world dyed in your colors

happy new year!!

#me posting this song has been waiting a long time but i'm glad i saved it till now #this is actually my favorite alice nine song and is probably my favorite vocal performance from shou #his voice from 2008-2012 really was at its all time best he could really stretch it out in a bowie kind of way and it was gorgeous #i dont know if he damaged his vocal chords over the years. make no mistake he can still really siiing #12 minutes of singing gemini seems impossible but he can still do it no problem it seems #theyre all so cool and hot here i love it lol #this is a real homage to mcr and i say that as a compliment #i think those two bands had some very 70s influences and they wear it on their sleeves when they make anthemic operatic shit #love them both for it #and love saga from alice nine my namesake #happy new year i will be watching the twilight zone marathon w/o my dog and i will be very sad about it #tbt #song rec #j rock #alice nine #a9 #visual kei #neo visual kei #new year #shut up kaily #q'd 12/19/2022

[yakuzacanons]

Hi there absolutely love your content! What do you think all the Ichigangs favorite bands/musicians are?

This is such a big brain ask cuz I have a Spotify playlist for almost every protag/big character, so I can finally put my efforts in that into an answer for once lmaoooo

Ichiban Kasuga

Mostly pop, light rock, and rap for our Ichi. Doesn't really have a particular favorite artist, just kind of likes a bunch of random songs. Kind of into J-Hope and Fallout Boy, if he had to specify.

Yu Nanba

Pretty old fashioned, defaults to jazz or classical music most of the time. Has no specific favorite artists and will listen to most anything. Likes The Seatbelts the most.

Adachi Koichi

Hard rock. That's it. That's all there is to it. Mostly into oldies from American and Europe. Lots of KISS, ACDC, Scorpions, Journey, etc.

Tianyou Zhao

Pop or hip hop for him, either in Japanese or Chinese. Almost never listens to music in English. Likes Jay Chou, Jackey Cheung, and Teresa Teng.

Joon-Gi Han

K-pop or visual kei are his go-to styles. He can get down to some emo music too sometimes. Most fond of BUCK-TICK, Agust D, and EXO.

#majima megaphone moment #yakuza #ryu ga gotoku #yakuza headcanons #yakuza imagines #ryu ga gotoku headcanons #ryu ga gotoku imagines #joon gi han #han joon gi #zhao tianyou #tianyou zhao #koichi adachi #yu nanba #ichigang #ichiban kasuga #yakuza like a dragon

[hit-song-showdown]

My favorite songs of 2023

I am putting together my favorite songs released in 2023. I started off doing a project where I listened to as many new albums as I could (and recording my findings in a spreadsheet), but that project tapered off around June when my move + school year started. But even though I wasn't able to listen to every album that came out, I still came out of 2023 with some of my favorite musical projects of all time. Also as another disclaimer: I am not a professional music writer.

I am also limiting this list to 1 song per album/project.

1. Scaring the Hoes by JPEGMafia and Danny Brown. I wish I could go back and experience again what happened to my brain when I first heard this track so I could properly convey it with text. When I first saw this project was announced, I knew it would take over my life. When I heard this track before the album was released, I knew I would have to form some kind of religion around it. The reason why I'm limiting this list to one track per album is because Scaring the Hoes has 14 tracks so I wouldn't be able to fit them all (other songs I would have given the number 1 spot include Burfict!, Shut Yo Bitch Ass Up/Muddy Waters, God Loves You, and Kingdom Hearts Key). But the title track is the perfect introduction. It's less of a single and more of a thesis statement for the entire project. The production throughout this album is incredible, but STH hits different. The rhythmic, almost menacing handclaps (fun fact: those aren't handclaps--that's the sound my asscheeks make when this song comes on) and the horn sample which I can only describe as Blood Money era Tom Waitsian, it is by far my favorite beat of 2023. Combined with Danny and JPEG's charisma and the way they bounce back and forth, this song is a shot of adrenaline straight to the heart. Also I saw them live and that experience elevated a 10/10 to a 20/10 for me.

2. Prof. Aronnax' Descent into the Vast Oceans by Ahab. I started seriously listening to German nautical funeral doom metal band, Ahab around early 2022 so this was the first new release I got to experience. Even though I loved what I heard previously, nothing could have prepared me for this. The opening track is everything I want from a doom metal song. It starts out with a frantic onslaught of screaming and inhuman growls before mellowing out into a serene instrumental before the mournful vocals kick in. It really feels like the initial shock of your body slamming into the water, then having to slowly drift among the waves as your muscles give out and you're taken deeper into the depths. That's what I like about doom metal: it's music to decay to. This track (and by extension this album) hooked me from a story-telling perspective right away, which shouldn't be a surprise as it was based on Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The story presented in this album intrigued me so much that I had to read the book for myself. Then I read it again. Then I read two different translations. Now I'm working on a visual novel adaptation. I know metrics for album rankings are subjective, so I'm willing to give an album an extra bump if it gets me to read a 19th century novel at least five times in less than two months and learn Python coding. (Other tracks I would have included: the album is at its strongest as a single listening experience, but I especially enjoyed Mobilis in Mobili and Ægri Somnia).

3. What A Man by Debby Friday. This is a track off of Nigerian-Canadian electronic musician Debby Friday's first album Good Luck and holy shit, what a debut. This is such a well-formed project I can't believe it. I was already enjoying the album throughout the first few tracks. It brought me back to listening to 2000s club music and thinking "wow I wish I got invited to parties." But then I got to What A Man and the world screeched to a halt. I think I was posting on my main blog at the time, so anyone unfortunate enough to follow me had a chance to see my incoherent screeching in real time. This track is incredible. Debby's warm and sultry voice, the spacey production, THE ELECTRIC GUITAR? The first time the guitar kicks in, that's just a teaser for what ended up being one of my favorite music moments of the year. The electric guitar feels like an oncoming storm and Debby is standing strong before it, taking on the wind and rain as her voice becomes louder and almost yearning. Then the song builds with Debby yelling to the high heavens as the guitars wail around her before fading back down into the low bass and rhythmic breathing motif found throughout the album. This track is an experience, and the music video is gorgeous too (the picture I chose for the banner is from the video itself) and the fact that it has less than 20K views hurts me. (Other tracks I would have included: I Got It, So Hard To Tell, Let U Down)

4. Bite Back by Algiers (ft. billy woods and Backxwash). Speaking of songs that build... This is the sixth track off of Algiers' album, Shook and by this point I was already feeling pretty good about the release. I was already prepared to put the opening track, Everybody Shatter on my top 20, but when Bite Back kicked in, something changed. Here's a recreation of my initial reaction: "this sounds pretty good, I like the way this intro...is that billy woods??") Just to be transparent: billy woods' involvement would have been enough to give this an automatic top slot for me, but it helps that his verse is fantastic. His flow is slower than the introductory verse, but that only makes his lyrics stand out more. From the opening lines "One hand wash the other, they both wash the face / Centrifugal force and inertia keep everything in its place / Slowly, spinning in space, speeding, lead foot on the brakes" I knew I was in for something special. One thing I really appreciate about this track is the production. billy woods has a very steady flow with an almost menacing quality to it depending on the subject matter of the lyrics, and the beat shifts during his verse to reflect that. It sounds like it could be a billy woods beat, but it doesn't sound like one of his beats was carelessly shoved into an Algiers song. It's like the beat ebbs and flows with the artists involved. The production gets gradually more intense as billy picks up more ferocity in his delivery. A detail I really like is when billy says "claws rattling, delicate as roaches' wings," the percussion on the backing track picks up an almost rattling quality, but it doesn't sound corny or too obvious. Then billy continues, the backing track picking up even more intensity until it feels like each noise is blasting at full power...and then the tension releases and settles down with Algiers frontman, Franklin James Fisher, delivering the second verse. His delivery contrasts wonderfully with billy woods' too, with his faster, almost whispered vocals allowing the track to pick up momentum again after the previous release of tension. This track knows when to breathe and it's fantastic. But it also knows when to take the air from your lungs as Fisher goes all out with the vocals in the hook and third verse, reinstating what an absolute powerhouse vocalist he is. And just when the track is at its peak ferocity, in comes Backxwash with the steel chair! If billy and Fisher were allowing the beat to gradually shift under their performances, Backxwash grabs the song by the throat and makes it do whatever she wants. Her verse then trades off into Fisher delivering the outro, operating at full power in his delivery. This song is so well-crafted and none of the artists feel out of place. (Other tracks I would have included: Everybody Shatter, A Good Man, Irreversible Damage)

5. Billions by Caroline Polachek. As of writing this, I haven't been keeping up with other people's year end lists, but I know this album is going to make everyone else's. So I feel a bit intimidated to talk about it, but I will try. The production on this album is so good my brain can't even comprehend how it was crafted. I've seen it described as "maximalist," but that doesn't fully capture how well this album knows when to pull back and let the tracks breathe. Billions is one of the more sparse tracks compared to some of the others, but that only makes each production decision stand out more. The second time Caroline says "give me the closure," you hear a little musical sting in the background (probably some kind of synth, but at first listen I thought it was an electric guitar) which didn't show up after the first time that lyric was sung. It's that attention to detail and letting the production build on itself that makes this project incredible. And it goes without saying that Caroline is an outstanding vocalist. She sounds like a siren. It's ridiculous. (Other tracks I would have included: Welcome to My Island, I Believe, Hopedrunk Everasking)

6. The Black Seminole by Lil Yachty. Opening track off of Lil Yachty's psychedelic rock album, Let's Start Here, and what an opening track on a fantastic project. It should be clear by this point that I love songs that build, and holy shit does this song build. I first listened to this album while I was on a plane, and this track synced up with my takeoff. So while the plane was lifting off the ground and I was being pressed against my seat, Lil Yachty gave the final line before the electric guitars and the female vocalist kicked in, both wailing with equal ferocity. Top 10 music experiences of the year, but even going back to listen to that same track when I'm not on an airplane delivered the same euphoric experience. (Other tracks I would have included: Drive Me Crazy, Should I B, We Saw the Sun)

7. Xena by Skrillex and Nai Barghouti. I debated whether to put this song or Hydrate on the list, but Xena was the first track that made me fall in love with this album. With vocals by Palestinian singer, Nai Barghouti, Skrillex delivers an absolutely outstanding dubstep track. Like Billions, it's the kind of music production that makes me have to step back and fully appreciate the craft. The song is incredible at building intensity, but he also knows when to pull back to let the tension build again. And Barghouti isn't just a feature--she is the heartbeat of this song. Her voice melds with the production so well, but in a way that sounds like she's commanding it. My absolute favorite part of the song is when she starts singing in her lower register as the production turns to more naturalistic instruments. Sometimes I see electronic producers robbing their singers of their voices for the sake of cohesive production, but that isn't the case here. Nai Barghouti's voice is crisp, unique, and perfect. It's a fantastic melding of producer and vocalist that makes way more sense than it should. (Other tracks I would have included: Hydrate, Rumble, Ratata)

8. Babylon by Bus by billy woods and Kenny Segal. I already talked about billy woods, but he was a feature so this still counts. Everything I already said about billy woods' skills applies here as well, especially now that he has full control over the track. billy's flow sounds both effortless, and that he knows the perfect word to use for each line. And he uses interesting words. "Glistening waterbug on clean counter / Plague mask, gave the place a cursory glower / He ran away, I gave chase but gave up and sat on his gate for hours" I love this series of bars. He is a storyteller. And then, the beat pauses after billy's first verse, with low menacing notes, a clattering of naturalistic metallic percussion, and then the switch up??? Seriously the way the beat ramps up for SkrapKnel's verses takes the song to another level. The way the Curly Castro and PremRock pass the mic back and forth to each other is outstanding. This doesn't feel like a guest verse; this is a fully realized project. The shamelessness is even more apparent when billy takes the mic again for the final verse, but now with more ferocity in his delivery as if he's building off of the energy created by SkrapKnel. This song is masterful. "I take care of these words, Munchausen by proxy / Somehow beat the tox screen / God save the queen, but that train doesn't stop here anymore" (Other tracks I would have included: FaceTime, Year Zero, Soft Landing)

9. Drain You Empty by Cannibal Corpse. I listened to this album right around midterms and I needed it. But this was the song I kept coming back to. For one, it's fun. Obviously: it's Cannibal Corpse. But I love the way the song opens with a full minute of just blasting you before the drums, riffs, and screams really kick in. Good god the drumming on this album is so good. I absolutely love Corpsegrinder's delivery on this track. The way he shifts from bellowing growls to shrieks, the way he speeds up his delivery to match the pace of the drums, it's so good. I'm sorry I don't have a better analysis. It's fun. (Other tracks I would have included: Chaos Horrific, Overlords of Violence, Blood Blind)

10. Crossing Guard by Model/Actriz. This is a song that made me wish I went to gay clubs more. Yes, it's a killer dance song, but what draws me in is how chaotic the production is. It starts out slow and quiet, then bam! The production starts screeching at you in a glorious onslaught of noise, held together with a fantastic bassline. I love the vocalist too. He can be monotone and subtle, but he also knows how to raise his voice to match the ferocity of the production. I listened to this song countless times last year (often while crossing the street and trying not to get hit by cars), and the line "Like Germanotta, Stefani / Pull the weight from under me" will be stuck in my head forever. (Other tracks I would have included: Donkey Show, Amaranth)

#music #2023 music #jpegmafia #danny brown #ahab #ahab band #debby friday #algiers band #caroline polachek #lil yachty #skrillex #nai barghouti #billy woods #backxwash #kenny segal #cannibal corpse #model/actriz

[bihansthot]

While Mortal Kombat, specifically Bi-Han and Syzoth are my primary obsession other fun obsessions include Gilgamesh (Archer) from Fate and Dir en Grey. If anyone is curious my favorite album is Withering to Death and top three songs are:

1. The Final

2. Cage

3. Vinushka

Two out of my four tattoos are Dir en Grey based and I’ve been obsessed since I was 14, when I first heard Cage, which was a lifetime ago. I’m watching a live which is why I was prompted to ramble about it. I’m still very much into Visual Kei as a whole but find it so much harder to keep up with it all now then it was in the late 90s earlier 00s and that’s probably because it’s just so easy to listen now there’s too many to try!

If you also happen to love VK please recommend bands! Currently I love Jigsaw but I’m not super familiar with current bands. Also EMD/RAVE peeps also hmu with favorite artists! I was a raver in high school and absolutely adore happy hardcore and anything similar.

#mortal kombat #fate series #music #visual kei #dir en grey #my polls #i love polls #send recommendations #obsessions #sol rambles #sol made a poll

[gingerjunhan]

Hello!! It's 🧈!

It's been awhile! I just wanted to request something for Jun han with a vkei (visual kei) reader? And they listen to a lot of bands like jiluka, dadaroma, and kaneto-juusei? (You don't have to know the bands, it's js Japanese rock).

But like the reader is very nice to Hyeongjun but is just super quiet but gets comfortable REALLY fast.

Sorry if this isn't the best request, I haven't requested anything from anyone for like a month😭🙏

☆彡 welcome back 🧈anon! Sorry this one took a while, but I'm finally digging through my requests lol. Hope you enjoy!

word count: 454| pronouns used: none | genre: fluff | cws: none!, lmk if I missed anything!

You’ve found yourself sandwiched between Hyeongjun and Jooyeon in the backseat of Gunil’s car on your way to meet up with a few friends for the day. Your drive was decently long, and you knew that it would be a battle for the aux between Jooyeon and Jungsu, who was riding in the passenger seat, so you decided to bring along some headphones.

You tapped along to the beat of the drums on your dark pants, finding yourself getting lost in the music. As the concert played on in your head, Hyeongjun couldn’t help but take note of how you seemed to be in your element a bit.

“Hey,” he nudged your shoulder, taking you out of your trance a little bit. “What are you listening to?” You and Hyeongjun were definitely two of the more reserved members of your friend group, so you both tried to reach out to one another to make sure you were feeling included. You both knew how it felt to be in each other's shoes, so that made it easier for you two to get along.

“Oh, it’s just this, um, this band that I like,” you answered awkwardly. You felt like your music taste wasn’t for everybody, so you didn’t bother giving any specific details.

“What kind of music is it?” Hyeongjun asked with a small smile.

“It’s a Japanese rock band,” you admit shyly. At that, Hyeongjun’s eyes lit up a bit.

“Oh, cool,” he nodded. “Who do you listen to? I’d love to check them out sometime.”

You couldn’t help the dumbfounded look that swept across your face. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he nodded again. “I love sharing music with people, and it sounds pretty cool.” His response was completely genuine, and you found yourself smiling back at him. Although you both weren’t the most talkative, you had always found ways to make each other feel more comfortable.

“Okay,” you beamed. “I can make you a playlist of some of my favorites and send it to you! I’ve really gotten into the v-kei genre and style lately; I think it’s super interesting.” Hyeongjun smiled as you spoke, enjoying that you were opening up about your interests with him.

“Awesome. Send the playlist my way and I’ll let you know what I think.”

“Yeah, totally! I can start on it right now. There are a few songs with some really cool guitar parts I think you would really enjoy.”

Hyeongjun watched as you happily made his playlist, asking questions about some of the groups you chose and what you liked about them. Although you weren’t always the most open with the things you liked, you always knew Hyeongjun would be there to geek out with you over anything.

taglist: @dazzlingligth , @mini-mews , @mxlly143 , @somethingaboutcheese , comment to be added!⁎⁺˳✧༚

#xdinary heroes x reader #xdinary heroes imagine #xdh x reader #xdh imagines #xdh fluff #junhan x reader

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 15/10/2023

Funny Senator

Season 7 Featured on: Os Bar​õ​es da Qualidade

Ripped by eg_9371

Its hard for me to overstate just how funny of a way Season 7 opened, and how perfectly it distilled the essence of SiIvaGunner down to just two weeks time. The Season premiered on the first day of February after a month's break of uploads for the duration of January, and it was with this premiere - Super Sonic Racing - Sonic R - that the season was labeled as "the year of Grand Dad". We'd finally reached the Season celebrating the funny number! The year was declared a celebration of SiIva's legacy, of its most stories memes and jokes from every season, and throughout the years they would definitely deliver on that promise.

Yet barely two weeks after the premiere, we suddenly had the rug pulled from under our feet. From February 13th to February 16th, the celebration was no longer of SiIvaGunner, or of Grand Dad. Now, the celebration was of hit electro-Forró band Os Barões da Pisadinha, and their immediately recognizable style of music.

I've talked about the takeover before in Rainbow Baroad, but these guys are BIGLY popular in Brazil, despite or perhaps even because so much of their music all sounds so similar. There's an infectiously fun sound to their electro-Forró style, and the SiIva team already began messing around with it midway through Season 6. Much like rips of Slider such as yesterday's WA-HOO DISCO, a key part of the fun with these rips is just how unified the style of music becomes when arranged in this distinct instrumentation. With Rainbow Baroad, the song already had a sort of laid-back, chill vibe to it that fit Os Barões' tropical sound like a glove. Funny Senator sits on the complete opposite end: Forró music is perhaps as far removed from Metal Gear Rising's style of music as you could possibly get, and yet that total disconnect ends up creating a super fun tune!

The rearranging already sells the joke perfectly, but the original vocals being added on top of this far sillier instrumental, trying so hard to remain epic whilst still being overruled by the pure vibes of those steel drums...The visual it creates as a joke is just far too good for me to ignore. Its like a final battle taking place on a sunny-day public beach, or like an intense game of beachside volleyball between Raiden and Armstrong finally reaching its conclusion.

One day I'll relisten to the whole album and probably pick out a third favorite Os Barões rip, but until then I'm comfortable in calling these two my absolute favorites.

#todays siivagunner #season 7 #siivagunner #siiva #eg_9371 #Youtube #Bandcamp #os baroes da pisadinha #forro #brazil #brazilian music #metal gear rising #mgr raiden #metal gear #metal gear solid #solid snake #raiden mgs #metal gear solid raiden

[fymoonbyul]

[ARTICLE] Review: K-pop group MAMAMOO keep the ‘Mic On’ for a powerful performance during Bay Area concert debut

At their packed Oakland Arena stop during their debut “My Con” world tour, veteran K-pop girl group Mamamoo put the spotlight on one of the most underutilized concert instruments: the wireless microphone.

It’s no secret that many K-pop performances rely heavily on pre-recorded vocals, but Mamamoo bucked the trend Friday, June 2, serving up live vocals as well as looks. Hitting the stage in white blouses, bustiers and toreador leggings tucked into black knee-high boots, the quartet — Solar, Moonbyul, Wheein and Hwasa — was dressed to slay. But it was vocal performances on songs like “Make Me Happy,” “Paint Me” and “Star Wind Flower Sun” where they killed.

Mamamoo’s tour title “My Con” forms a portmanteau of “Mic On,” a nod to the name of their latest EP and the way they used their mics onstage. Moonbyul offered additional rationale that received lusty cheers from fans.

“The meaning of the tour is that Moomoos (Mamamoo fans) all over the world are coming together to make this concert happen,” she told the audience through a translator.

For more than two hours, Mamamoo showed why they’re one of the most fearless and well-rounded groups in K-pop since breaking onto the scene in 2014. Solar and Wheein form a potent singing tandem — Solar has R&B in her veins, and Wheein is a pop expressionist — while Hwasa and Moonbyul are double agents, contributing vocals and raps.

Mamamoo’s choreography was also satisfying with top-class execution and clean lines despite carrying handheld mics during the show. They were visually accentuated by eight female backup dancers and four outfit changes throughout the night.

The group’s live vocals gave credence to the “mic on” theory, though some assistive vocals could be detected to the naked ear, especially when members lowered their handhelds to complete a choreographed move.

While Mamamoo didn’t perform with a live band, the instrumental tracks sounded freshly recorded and retooled, which gave their songs a punchy, spontaneous feel — from the drumstick count-off to the big clattery toms-and-cymbals finishes.

Mamamoo injected fresh life into the solo medley portion of the show, by individually covering each other’s key solo tracks: Solar sang Wheein’s “Water Color” and Wheein performed Solar’s “Honey,” while Hwasa covered Moonbyul’s “Eclipse” and Moonbyul did Hwasa’s “Twit.”

The songs even received their own distinctive spotlight and dance routine, showing off each member’s versatility and creativity. The group came together for a performance of four more solo snippets, with Hwasa’s “Maria” receiving the biggest response as the performers executed Hwasa’s iconic body rolls during the number, a move akin to seeing James Brown do the splits.

But the night didn’t all go according to script. During the upbeat “Starry Night,” the group got a case of the giggles and broke character, before regaining composure to finish the song. Also, there were lulls as well as lolz. Three interstitial pre-recorded video segments (“VCRs” in K-pop speak) slowed momentum to a crawl. One segment lasting seven minutes — an eternity in concert time — showed group members enjoying a meal and talking shop. These would have been better served as pre-show entertainment for folks settling into their seats.

With nine years of music to pull from, it’s fair to assume that some fan favorites would not make the cut. But leaving the 2020 pick-me-up anthem “Dingga” off the setlist felt like a crucial miss. The quarantine-era hit was meant to be played in this exact setting, with everyone back in a concert hall again.

If the main concert served up stylistic amuse-bouches, the four-song encore was a pop feast. Reappearing in denim and tour merch, the women vibed along with the audience to “Travel,” “Yes I Am,” “L.I.E.C,” and closed with their effervescent early hit, “Um Oh Ah Yeah.”

The encore summed up nearly a decade of influence, showing how all-around talent, experience, fearlessness and versatility are keys to longevity.

#mamamoo #era:mic on #t:article #230604

[ridethehammett]

i think it’s time to influence the population ‼️ i know i talk about american metal and stuff but to my metal and rock friends out there, i suggest visual kei! since i know pretty men are a huge interest (and of course the music) here are some of my favorite pretty men and recommended songs from my favorite bands! 🖤

what is visual kei?

“visual kei is a music scene and movement that originated in japan during the late 1980s, influenced by glam rock and other 1980's rock music styles.” (i looked it up because i couldn’t form words myself lol)

toshiya (bass) - dir en grey

i had a HUGE obsession with this man!!

i love this song but they also have more scream metal type songs as well!

hyde (vocalist) - l’arc en ciel

bye where do i even begin with this man. he’s so sexy with short hair but his LONG HAIR?

SMASH‼️

they’re a soft rock kind of band and absolutely awesome! also hyde is such a tease bye

mana (lead guitarist) - malice mizer

there’s a change you’ve seen him or gackt before because malice mizer is one of the most popular vkei bands. they’ve gone through a couple lineup changes, therefore their music style changed (rip gaz and kami ily 🖤) they’re not together anymore unfortunately but i love them. also, if you like concerning individuals i suggest looking up gackt ☠️ i’m gonna put a couple songs with each vocalist (they’ve had 3 lmao) their overall theme is classic rock/goth!

ryutaro (vocalist) - plastic tree

I NEED HIM HE IS SO PRETTY

HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SONG. it’s one of my favorite songs of all time! they’re a soft rock/grunge band, that’s how i’d describe it? i dunno.

NOW ARE YALL READY

ARE YOU?

atsushi sakurai (vocalist) - buck tick

MY MAN MY MAN MY FUCKING MAN STOP

LISTEN TO THIS SONG YOU WONT REGRET

THERE WILL BE A PART TWO‼️

#venus’ visual kei class 🩶 #vkei #Spotify #SoundCloud

[withered-rose-unbreakable-lotus]

Random favourite visual kei musical moments 3

The madness that AND were, man. AND was that kind of band that reached a specific high and then haunted its members for the rest of their career to be fair, but well...part of me wishes all 6 of them can still look back at it with a smile. Maybe cause it was my first vkei band I dunno. It still means sth to Ken and Peco for one but I never learnt how the rest see it.

One of my favorite things about them was the synchronicity they had on stage. They were chaotic, but somehow like one whole being...This part right here might be translating well what I mean. Their performance and chemistry on stage were electric to me and I really wish they could have made it longer. I never understood why they took their separate ways, they all seemed to regret it afterwards and so much was said back then, I no longer know what's true or not. What I know though is that somehow, even though they never became that of a big name, pretty much everyone I've spoken to from the western fandom knew who they were, even those that never became their fans. Also most musicians in the scene knew them. I was pwoud. :P

I miss my agents. :/

Song title: Trigger (if you've been searching vkei on YT around 2012 like me, you probably came across this one a lot, along with Diaura's Lost November and a couple more songs)

#and eccentric agent #visual kei #vkei #imma stop for today cause this one got me emo xD #oooff listen to kili boy and his solo dang it #how I wish I could have experienced at least one of their lives

[cravenhearted]

Thank you @alotofweirdkinks for tagging me!

Last Song/Podcast: meth. - BLACK [666] SCHEME

Currently Watching: None.

Three Ships: Protagoneil (Neil/The Protagonist) from Tenet; Grace/Dani from Terminator: Dark Fate'; AltMal (Altair/Malik) from Assassins' Creed

Place of Birth: In a hospital

Favorite Color: BLACKPINK IN YOUR AREA!!

Currently Consuming: During ramadhan month my workplace usually gives us snacks and desert for iftar (breaking fast), today it's homemade burger and ice tea!

First Ship: It's embarrassing because it's from visual kei band RPF but Ruki/Reita from The GazettE lmao (I was, like, 14 when I got into this fandom)

Current Location: My room

Relationship Status: Yearning lol

Last Movie: I still have not finished Aniara (2018 Swedish-Danish sci-fi film based on an epic poem by Harry Martinson)

Currently Working On: It's friday night, babey! I'm not working on anything. I am playing video game! (I should start working on my university study materials though oops)

Tagging @summercohenroberts @miserablecreachur and anyone else who wants to do it! <3

#tag game #/text mine

[a9saga]

tbt - luna sea - gravity // grasping at straws to call this song from when i was an infant a "throwback"

#wahhh wahh change my dipey #at least i was born for this one #these guys remind me so much of the cure #from the couple of songs i knew of theirs before i really thought of the cure and now as i get more into them i do even more #they have that smooth dreamy quality #also wow shou ohara sings so much like this guy #i knew they were big fans of luna sea in that band i definitely hear it now #speakin of a9 why didnt i know theyre on indefinite hiatus until today #someone shoulda told me you cant let a girl figure out this sorta thing on her own #i will have to look more into luna sea if any of you are fans please send me your favorite songs/albums/projects of theirs #luna sea #j rock #visual kei #song rec #tbt #shut up kaily #q'd 6/6/2023 #Youtube

[killing-time-w-kaz]

German folk rock is worth listening to.

I spent the last 5 months listening to Swedish heavy metal, and now I need something softer. I still listen to Sabaton, and here are some good ones if you’re interested.

My roommate has made fun of my music taste in the past, exclaiming how “white” my music is for someone who is “supposed to be BIPOC”. Well, I mostly listen to rock. I was raised on American folk, classic rock, and whatever old hippies listen to. And I don’t think race or ethnicity should determine the kind of music one listens to.

The 5 main bands I listen to are Rise Against (American punk rock), Starset (American heavy rock), Bastille (British indie pop/alt rock), SID (Japanese visual kei rock) and L’arc~en~ciel (Japanese rock). I’ve been listening to these bands for 10 years, and I’m trying to branch out a bit.

I’ve added Sabaton (Swedish Heavy/Power metal that focuses on war time history) and dartagnan (German folk rock) to the rotation, as well as Citizen Solider (American rock focused on mental health).

Growing up I didn’t like what I considered “modern music” aka pop music because I found it shallow. I only listened to Taylor Swift because my two close friends at the time listened to her and I wanted to have something to connect over. But when those friendships fell through, I went back to my dislike of pop music. When I discovered the world of anime, I fell in love with the music that accompanied these shows. Many of the anime from the Golden Era have theme songs from visual kei or rock bands that borrow heavily from western punk/goth, glam rock/metal and heavy rock. I think part of the appeal is that I don’t speak Japanese and therefore could focus on the musical structure of the pieces rather than the lyrics.

It has been been 10 years since I started picking my own music. I still do not love pop music, I still find many of the songs shallow, but I do not carry these sentiments over to the people who listen to them. I actually love hearing what music other people like, because it gives me a better idea of who they are. When I met the archaeology team last summer, we went around talking about what concert or artist (any time or place) we would like to see live. I immediately found a guy who also loves Rise Against.

Music is a universal language. It has been incredibly important to my family: with my great grandfather dedicating his life to being a violinist, with my grandfather teaching me different folk songs, with my parents always playing their favorite music.

My grandfather sung this song to my mom and uncle, and later me: “All things must perish under the sky, music alone shall live, never to die”.

#music #music recs #ramblings #dartagnan #sabaton #rise against #starset #citizen soldier #larc en ciel #bastille dan #bastille #SID #Spotify #SoundCloud

[lllsaslll]

Elvis Music Ask~

Since we've all been listening to Elvis non-stop and falling in love with all his music I figured it would be fun to do a music related ask game!

Last Elvis Song You Listened To: 'That's All Right (First 'Sit-Down' Show - Live)'

Current Elvis Song Stuck In Your Head: 'Blue Suede Shoes'

Favorite Live Performance Moment: This is near impossible to pick! He's so funny and entertaining on stage. I think maybe the sit downs of the 68 special tho because of all the little convos and side comments it feels like we're just watching him jam out with friends, he just seems so happy 🥺🙏

Favorite Genre/Era You Like To Hear Elvis Sing Most: I really love listening to his early music, the 50's stuff especially songs with heavier hits of Rockabilly.

Current Favorite Elvis Song (bc how can you pick!): 'Devil in Disguise' and 'Kentucky Rain' are my two favs constantly stuck in my head, but the movie's mix of 'Summer Kisses/In My Body' speaks to me on a whole other level if I could eat that song I would🔥🔥🔥

Elvis Song You Tend To Skip: I skip some songs occasionally bc they might be a different vibe than I want. But I usually will skip the stuff recorded Live during the Aloha from Hawaii Satellite concert, I just don't really feel that the audio recordings sound good without the video and Elvis' performances are better on other occasion imo

What Kind Of Music Did You Listen To Before/Besides Elvis: Rock! Lots of rock, metal, dark synth and especially Japanese Visual Kei bands 🖤 I don't think I should be surprised I'm having my Elvis phase as he is the "King of Rock & Roll" after all lol

Are You Collecting Elvis' CD's, Cassette Tapes, 8-Tracks, or Records? I'm collecting a little but also trying not to go crazy haha as if that were possible! I currently have a cassette deck and turntable but both are broken T^T so I'm still trying to decide what I want to do with those. I'd really like to start collecting records but I also have a soft spot for cassettes 🤔

Is There Any Other Music You've Started Listening To Because Of Elvis: Elvis reminded me of one of my childhood loves, Crybaby! A musical movie from 1990 staring a very young Johnny Depp and from the creator of Hairspray. It's a campy jukebox musical set in the mid 50s and any Elvis fan will absolutely get a kick out of it! Plus the music is great!

Last Live Performance You Were At: My friend took me to see her favorite artist, Lights. I was unfamiliar with them but it was a nice intimate show

If You Could Have Been At Any Of Elvis' Live Performances, Which Would Choose: I would have LOVED to have seen him in the early early days, specifically his performance in Austin, TX, a city very dear to my heart. I've seen one single photo and I'm pretty positive there's no video or audio recordings of them. *sad yeeyee* 😔 Plus it's the Live Music Capital of the World, so I love that Elvy got his feet wet there~

Now tag some friends! @bisexualwvtson @elvisfatass @karamelcoveredolicity @ash-omalley @himbocampus

#elvis #elvis presley #elvis music #elvis fandom #elvis ask #elvis music ask #tag meme #elvis ask game #austin elvis #austin butler

[pa-stella]

For the flower prompt thingy can you do 2 but with Ichiro x Jyushi? Not much fan content with that ship so but I can see it^^

Thank you so much for requesting this pairing! The shuffle divisions event and a specific part in arb made me a big fan of this ship too and I was waiting for the right moment to write about them. They're already in an established relationship in this, so I skipped Jyushi's dramatic way of speaking. I hope it's okay. Caress of Venus is a song by L'Arc-en-Ciel.

Title: Unforgettable Fandom: Hypnosis Mic Pairing: Ichiro/Jyushi Prompt: Going to an event that the other person is interested in just to see them happy

Ichiro almost yelped as a three-inch wedge shoe crushed his poor foot. Hearing his lament, a young woman with colorful hair and heavy makeup turned to look at him. “Oh, sorry!!”

“No problem…” He replied while trying to ignore the pain.

Spending two hours in an overcrowded line for a visual kei concert… who made him do that?

“Ichiro-kun! Are you okay?”

He glanced at the person on his side and smiled. “Yep, no need to worry, Jyushi!”

Well, it wasn’t exactly Jyushi’s fault if they were there. 

It happened a few weeks earlier. The couple was coming back from an afternoon spent window shopping and eating junk food in Harajuku when Jyushi had stopped in front of a huge billboard. He just commented that one of his favorite bands, Caress of Venus, was going to do one final tour before retiring. He never said he wanted to attend one of their lives, but Ichiro had seen his blue eyes sparkling as if he was a child in front of a new toy. It was he who proposed to go see the band during Jyushi’s next visit in Ikebukuro. The visual kei lover had agreed happily.

“It sure is packed.” Jyushi commented, fanning himself with a hand. It was almost December, but the vicinity of the crowd made it feel like it was summer. His multilayered outfit didn’t help for sure. “Once inside, it will be even worse!”

Jyushi was right. When they opened the doors of the music venue, chaos ascended and everyone started pushing to rush inside. Being Caress of Venus an indie band, the hall was pretty small and it filled up quickly. The couple was lucky enough to find a free spot in the very back before they closed the doors.

“It was a good idea to leave Amanda at home, she wouldn’t have survived something like this!” Jyushi laughed and adjusted his shirt a little.

Ichiro looked around for a bit. “That guitarist you like… on which side of the stage does he usually play?”

“From the videos I’ve seen… the right side.” He tilted his head.

“Let’s try to move there then!” Ichiro grinned.

“What! No, no, it’s okay if we stay here!” Jyushi shook his hands frenetically. 

“Jyushi, you won’t be able to see anything at all from here!”

“But… we are too tall… if we move forwards, nobody will see anything…”

Ichiro almost rolled his eyes. Every single person in that place was wearing platform shoes at the moment. They looked tiny in comparison. He took his hoodie off and tied it around his waist. “C’mon…”

“Okay...” He nodded while showing him a small smile.

“Hold on tight to my arm then!” Ichiro waited for him to grab his arm before delving into the crowd. Being a little more brawny than the people present to the concert, he had no problem moving around the chaotic mob. He stopped only once to make sure that Jyushi was fine and then he went on until they arrived at the wall on the right side of the stage. From there they could see the guitarist’s spot clearly, without the stress of being right under him.

He let Jyushi move in front of him and hugged him from behind. “A little better, don’t you think?”

The other turned slightly to look at him. “Yeah, much better”, he replied and smiled again. 

At that precise moment, the hall fell into the darkness until a few blue and violet lights brightened the stage and the members of Caress of Venus apparead one at time, showing complicated baroque-inspired clothes. Ichiro felt a little underdressed.

Even if the style of the band was very different from what Ichiro was used to, their music was engaging and pleasant to hear. The vibrations from the ground, the low voice of the singer, the long guitar and bass solos… Everything was captivating and he even found himself jumping and dancing with the rest of the audience.

But if Ichiro had to be honest, the most beautiful sight of that evening was the person in his arms. Jyushi was an incredibly expressive guy, but at that moment he was different. He looked more alive than usual as he moved against Ichiro. Every time the colorful lights hit his face making his smile appear in the darkness, Ichiro could feel his heart skip a beat. 

When the last song ended, Jyushi was weeping a little and he didn’t even try to get one of the picks the guitarist threw at the audience. “Why do they have to split up…” he murmured once he had calmed down.

Ichiro ruffled his hair a bit while they moved toward the exit. He stopped for a moment as something caught his attention. Trying not to let Jyushi see, he crouched down.

“Ichiro? What are you doing?”

“My shoe is untied”, he lied and Jyushi just nodded.

“I’d like to buy some merchandise before leaving, is that a problem?” 

“Not at all, just try not to spend too much!” He joked, making the other pout. “I’ll wait for you outside. It’s way too hot inside.”

The younger of the two moved away to get in line and Ichiro observed him for an instant before finally going out. The cold evening breeze invested him as soon as he stepped outside, forcing him to wear his hoodie again. While waiting for Jyushi, he decided to check the many notifications on his phone. He had posted a few pics of the day they had spent together and even a simple selfie before the concert so, as he expected, there were a few comments.

About twenty minutes later, Jyushi joined him and they started to walk in the direction of the metro station. Jyushi was able to buy a few autographed posters and the last cd of the band. 

“I’m so happy!!” He exclaimed at some point and hugged Ichiro, making him stumble a bit. “Did you have fun too?”

“Yes, it was an interesting experience…” He said and Jyushi giggled.

“I was able to see Caress of Venus with my boyfriend.” He sighed and looked forward dreamily, “What a night…”

Ichiro smiled before talking again. “I can make it even more special, you know.”

“Uh? What do you mean?”

“Close your eyes.” Jyushi looked at him with a curious face, but did what he said. “Now, give me your hand.”

“I really want to see…”

“Don’t peek.” Ichiro took something out of his pocket and placed it in Jyushi’s open hand. “Now you can look.”

His eyes opened with a slow movement, as if he didn’t want to discover the surprise too soon, but then they widened and he let out a gasp. “Is… is this… Katsuro’s plectrum?” He asked, observing the small object. The Fender pick was decorated with the name of the guitarist and a few small roses. 

“Yes, I found it on the ground earlier. I thought it would be a nice surp-”

The older Yamada brother couldn’t finish the sentence because Jyushi had pulled him by the front of his hoodie to kiss him tenderly. When he let him go, they were both beet red. 

“Thank you, Ichiro.” Jyushi finally whispered before showing him the brightest smile he had ever seen. “You really made this night unforgettable.”

#writing? in this economy? #jyushi aimono #ichiro yamada #ichiro x jyushi #hypnosis mic #aaaaah the headcanons i have for these two #i will write them down one day #but i think no one is interested

[leclercenjoyer]

put your liked songs on shuffle and post the first ten that come up!

i was tagged by @maudlintrash <3 thank u maud. we are all about to learn some things together. im scared of my liked songs i dont even know whats in there.

muscle museum - muse - OK WELL I GUESS its poetic cinema that the first song that pops up is from my favorite band since age like twelve djkhdkdkjdh

she used to be mine - sara bareilles - ourgh...

a great northern river - the unthanks - OK I GUESS its also appropriate that theres boat music on here

backwards and forwards - the family crest - family crest my beloved...

sometimes - nick lutsko - NICK LUTSKO WAS RIGHT sometimes the only way out is as a carcass!!!!

the midnight special - creedence clearwater revival - i see we are receiving a special transmission from my FATHER

胎内回帰 - BUCK-TICK - ok. well. ive been having a visual kei episode recently i dont know what to tell you. slaps though.

better version of me - autoheart - oh autoheart we're really in it now.....

BLOODY STREAM - coda - OK WELL. the app has decided to put me on blast for being a jojo enjoyer.

adventure - ian taylor - THE RUNESCAPE SOUNDTRACK??? THE RUNESCAPE SOUNDTRACK IS IN THERE??? SINCE WHEN IS THE RUNESCAPE SOUNDTRACK IN THERE??? HI???

ok well. that was a learning experience for everyone.

tagging @apeacebone @alpaine @unabashedlycasualangel if you wanna do it!!!

#tag meme