THE HAKKIN - Bansei

THE HAKKIN

晩成

2014/05/14

1. 四千年のLOVER

2. Tokyo Lung

3. 禁じ手

4. ニウ神経衰弱

5. 震えた口唇に最後のKISSをしよう

6. NO NO モチベーション

Full disclosure, I don't know if this band identified as visual kei, but anyway... THE HAKKIN is very close to my heart and it hurt a lot when they disbanded. They were a really special little project with a cool retro sound that made them stand out from the typical acts.

If I recall correctly, my first encounter with THE HAKKIN was thanks to some cool person who linked one of their Youtube promo videos in the chatbox of the late great Monochrome Heaven forum (R.I.P.). It was love at first listen! The catchy upbeat new wave sound was an instant hook, even if the production was demo-level (nevertheless, this band's demos sounded better than a lot of other young groups' professional releases). From then on, it was a painful and slow process of obtaining their live-limited demo CDs one by one through Japanese auction sites, but it was all worth it!

Thankfully, the band soon released their first longer record, which was the mini album "Bansei"—or "Bansay", as it's stylishly written on the front cover, haha. This compact disc perfectly captures everything that THE HAKKIN was about. The ingredients are quite simple, building from a pop-rock sound with elements of new wave and synthpop in the spirit of the '80s. The arrangements blend the worlds of soft visual kei and J-pop into a fun mixture that sometimes feels like listening to old osare kei, and other times it sounds like it's straight from an '80s pop countdown TV show. An interesting tidbit: the members previously played in VIDEO GLAMOUR, and just like there, I can hear some echoes of cali≠gari influence here too.

Of course, they didn't coast along purely on their influences, as evidenced by the quality of their compositions. The songs themselves are expertly crafted and full of catchy bits, in a sort of retro way that aims for a happy atmosphere but due to its use of bygone tropes, ends up being profoundly bittersweet. I'm a sucker for this type of mood, so naturally I love every track on here. My standout favorites would have to be the disco-rock banger "Kinjite" with its loveably cheesy synths and vocodered vocal hooks, and "Furueta kuchibiru ni saigo no KISS wo shiyou", a dramatic uptempo number full of longing and passion in the chorus (moving closer to the VK-sphere).

Sadly the guys only released one more album after this one, and then in short time they disbanded. In any case, I hope they're doing well (I know the vocalist brought some of VIDEO GLAMOUR's music to digital platforms since then, which is a welcome gesture!). I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll get to hear some more tunes like these in the future. Until then, I'll keep spinning THE HAKKIN, 'cuz there's no future like a retro-future!

Signal - CHAIN

Signal

CHAIN

2012/05/17

1. ATOMIC No,666

2. Just for today

3. Lovers:Psycho

4. Gerbera

5. unleash from chain

6. Animosity

7. The Last Judgement

When it came to marrying balls-to-the-wall metalcore aggression with visual kei melodies, Signal could do it like no other! Their mini album is a true metallic delight with a fiery spirit that begs to be played over and over again.

When I first heard Signal on their debut single they already presented a surprisingly well-formed sound right out the gate. From what I recall that period of time (late 2000s, early 2010s) was when the whole metalcore boom sort of reached the VK scene. That meant everyone and their little bro was trying to come up with their best watered-down-enough version of an already generic heavy-fast riff like there was no tomorrow, so naturally one was inclined to proceed with caution when checking out new bands, but luckily enough Signal managed to put substance into their craft.

I feel like they were one of the few bands who managed to 'stay real' so to speak when playing this type of metalcore-influenced music, i.e. their tracks always flowed very well and didn't sound like they were just checking off boxes in a gimmicky way. Maybe that's because they were one of the earlier groups to adopt this style so they went into it with genuine respect and conviction... who knows.

One thing's for sure though, just like their first few singles, their first and only mini album "CHAIN" contains a careful balance of hard-hitting metallic riffs, harsh vokills and a distinctly visual kei sense of melody and song arrangement. Almost every track on here has the characteristics of an instant crowd favorite to mosh or headbang to. Their razor-sharp riffs and relentless rhythms go into almost thrash metal territory on more than one occasion, but they also like to change up the pace with tastefully placed grooves and gentler, more melodic passages.

Vocalist Yuri goes all-out with amazing growls, squeals and screeches, but he can also hold his own in the singing department without fail, greatly enhancing these tunes. As already mentioned, the guitarists and the rhythm section perform their hearts out as well, which makes it all the more sad that none of the members went on to do anything of value (or of much interest) later... but what's important is that here in Signal they put together something special, I guess.

Ultimately, the record has a very uniform sound but not to its detriment. On the contrary, I feel like every song is on the same extremely high level of quality. It's hard to put this into words, but when you hear the vocalist sing or growl and the instruments doing their thing, it just sounds like there's a passion behind it that elevates the whole experience. You could say Signal's spirit burned brightly and their art remains as proof of that.

Raffia di:ser - Facsimile Edition 1

Raffia di:ser
Facsimile Edition 1
2021/02/04

1. Addiction
2. Mad cry
3. ...and VICE
4. ガラスの雫
5. Bloom
6. Crucified lover
7. Luna～精神異常～
8. ∞ [loop]

Time to take a forgotten rough gem out of the big bag of underground visual kei! Raffia di:ser's 2021 release spree has precious restored tracks in store for old-school lovers.

Okay, I'm not gonna pretend that I've known of Raffia di:ser this whole time. In fact, I first read their name less than a week ago while absent-mindedly browsing vkgy ("sounds cool, let's check it out!"). I soon found out that even though the band itself had a pretty short run as predicted and they're dead and gone for almost two decades now, they released some digital albums last year. A totally unexpected but welcome gesture! Turns out that frontman Akihisa decided to re-record the band's whole catalogue all by himself a few years ago and bundled them into three neat collections.

Those of you who know me also might know that I'm a sucker for old stuff like this, particularly the indies VK of the turn of the millennium, so of course I had to buy all the digital albums they had in their webshop. First of all I have to say I'm amazed by the sheer volume of the material. Each collection contains 8 tracks (about 37 minutes), revisiting both previously released and unreleased music, making them absolute must-haves for fans of this bygone era. This first album is my favorite so far as it sounds the most 'traditionalist', with tasteful and not too overbearing synths providing the backdrop for beautiful fluttery guitars, catchy rhythms and great melodic vocals.

Of course it all wouldn't be worth much if the re-recordings sucked, but thankfully Akihisa seems to have handled everything with care. I have to give him props for going ahead and programming all the synths and drums, playing the bass and all the guitar lines and of course handling the vocals all the way through. I haven't had a chance to check out the original recordings, but after hearing these new ones I might not even have to, just because these sound perfect as they are. Clear, crisp sound, but also with a sense of the early '00s in its DNA. In other words, the production doesn't sound kitschy or try-hard modern, just presenting a polished reimagining of the past.

If my humble ramblings piqued your interest, please visit Akihisa's webshop where you can buy digital and physical versions of the three albums (with a small discount if bought in a bundle), and while you're there I also recommend the Iris d'aile re-recording collection, another kickass batch of nostalgic VK.

QROSS - Bloody†Cross

QROSS

ブラッディ†クロス

2001

1. Intro

2. 血賛歌

3. D (ディー)

4. bloody site

The dreaded time has come! I literally have no bands starting with the letter "Q" in my library, so let's take a dive into the murky depths of visual kei history and come back up for air with some... generic kote-kei? Fine by me!

QROSS is a band I wasn't familiar with, so I decided to do a bit of research but looks like there isn't much to know. They released this one demotape and based on one of their old flyers they might have published another demo and even a music video VHS, but the existence of those releases are debatable. Most of the musicians involved didn't do anything else that's noteworthy, except for the bassist who had ties to CROW-SIS (for like a minute) and Eye for you, and later Lanus Dune and Ruellia along with the drummer. Not exactly chart-toppers but names that might ring a bell for connoisseurs I guess.

Now onto the demo itself! The guys start us off with a properly cheesy and 'spooky' synth intro complete with spoken-word babble and random deranged moaning on top of a strangely upbeat swingy rhythm. Not the exact vibe I was expecting but not bad.

The title of track two has the kanji for "blood" in it, so you already know it's gonna be good. The synths from the intro make a ghastly return but then the band kicks into that typical dark and fast-paced kote-kei aggression. There's a pretty hilarious solo that's either played by a guitar with a MIDI effector or just a straight-up MIDI line. In any case, it bangs.

The enigmatically titled "D" is up next and it's basically more of the same punky craziness. It's the sort of same that I like though, so it gets a pass from me. Some sick vocal torture heightens the atmosphere of madness.

The tape closes with "bloody site", which is... yep, you guessed it, kind of more of the same again. This time the band treats us to a slightly more melodic affair, with stereotypical soaring VK guitar leads and fluttery frills which ultimately culminate in a nice chorus before the song abruptly fades out (it could have gone on for a bit longer).

Well, there you have it: QROSS's (possibly) only recorded output. Can't say that I'd purposefully want to listen to more from them, but it was fun to spin a couple of times. If you're a fan of this era of visual kei you'll probably find enjoyment in it, but objectively it's just one out of the many many similarly faceless acts of the time.

Phantasmagoria - REQUIEM -FUNERAL EDITION-

Phantasmagoria
REQUIEM -FUNERAL EDITION-
2007/09/05

01. into the "Phantasmagoria"
02. 神創曲 -Variant Jihad-
03. NEVER REBELLION
04. Camouflage
05. Unknow zero distance
06. 未完成とギルト
07. Pixy false
08. Material pain
09. NEO ARK
10. 狂想曲 -Cruel crucible-

Kisaki is probably one of the most legendary figures of indies visual kei (infamy and scandals aside), having been part of countless bands and heading his own labels. To me, his crowning achievement definitely has to be his work in Phantasmagoria.

Back when I got into the VK scene, I knew of Kisaki first and foremost as UNDER CODE PRODUCTION's boss and bassist of Phantasmagoria, so I wasn't really aware of most of his history. Sure, I later found out that he played bass with the Dir en grey boys in the La:Sadie's days and was also head of the label Matina (another cult label just like UCP), but I was more occupied in discovering the then-current underground scene... and that was all about Phantasmagoria!

They were really sneaky in a way that they made absolutely immaculate, intricately woven and catchy songs, but released them in very short bursts with lots of bells and whistles to make as much profit as they could. No release with more than two songs usually. In fact, they only came out with a mini album for their first US gig, as a collection of previously released tracks! Kisaki the master moneymaker at work, haha. 'Luckily' for us, the band soon decided to go on hiatus, so as is customary, they graced us with two best-of collections titled "REQUIEM" that pretty much covered all their recorded output.

Out of the two albums, "FUNERAL EDITION" is my favorite without question (but the "FLORAL EDITION" is also solid), as it showcases most of the band's hard rockin' and energetic tracks, i.e. the style they really excelled at in my opinion. The all killer, no filler approach is very much in effect here, at least I'd be hard pressed to try and find a bad Phantasmagoria song (in their first period). They just come at you with hit after hit, delivering a hybrid of old-school '90s gothic visual kei compositions with more cutting-edge stylings, as well as incorporating some heaviness.

After impatiently sitting through an overly long intro, "Variant Jihad" comes as a godsend. It's a perfect opener with a mystical vibe and driving tempo that's followed by such bangers as the catchy industrial-flavored "Mikansei to Guilt" or the relentless "NEO ARK" (a staple of Budapest's mid '00s underground VK parties, good memories...). Everything inbetween is just as powerful. All in all, Phantasmagoria present us a near-flawless package that's, dare I say, mandatory listening for anyone who's a fan of visual kei, young or old. Go seek it out!

-OZ- - SIX

-OZ-

SIX

2007/05/30

1. DAIS

2. Erode

3. Shangrila

4. Illegal SLEEP

5. Resemblance

6. Enmity

There's no doubt that -OZ- were one of the flagship bands of the mid-to-late '00s for many listeners when it came to the heavier side of indies visual kei. Even though they didn't exactly make it big, their consistency is still admirable.

If I'm being honest I was never into -OZ- that much (and I'm still not), but they always seemed to have a vibe I gravitated towards on occasion. I can't recall when I first listened to them, but I do remember spinning their early releases up to and including their first mini album. I liked what I heard, that's for sure, they just didn't leave much of an impact on me. This was still back when the whole scene was relatively new to me (having only delved into it for a few short years), so I guess there was a whole bunch of other bands grabbing my attention a lot more.

I've had a bit of a tough time deciding what to showcase, but ultimately I settled on their first mini album, the appropriately titled "SIX" (spoiler: it contains six tracks). The difficulty comes from the fact that I've already mentioned: plain and simple, -OZ-'s music is just kind of a samey blur to me. On the one hand that could be percieved as a negative (not enough memorability), but in this case it's important to note that I feel like they very rarely dropped in quality... even if that 'quality' sort of just equals 'decent enough'.

The sound presented on "SIX" is very much 'of its time', so you can expect some competently played tight riffing audibly influenced by a mixture of nu-metal, groove metal and a pinch of melodic metalcore, often at a fast headbangin' pace. The rhythm section never goes too crazy, but they provide a solid base to build upon, and finishing it off is frontman Natsuki's pleasant vocal melodies and tastefully placed growls. There are moments when the band surprises us with nice harmonic dual guitars or a lighter arrangement, but overall the sound remains as reliable/predictable (take your pick) as possible.

This might seem like I'm totally indifferent to -OZ- but I guess it's all a question of perspectives and hindsight. Truth be told, if I had been writing this blog back when the band was still active, I might not have thought of including them right off the bat. In this day and age, however, there's just something refreshing in re-listening to these tunes. Much like my missed opportunity to see them live more than a decade ago, it says something bittersweet about not appreciating certain bands while we still can. -OZ- disbanded close to nine years ago, yet here I am, choosing to bob my head to their riffs instead of whatever overproduced brutal wannabe-core kei is currently making waves on the net. I wonder if this pattern will repeat in the future, or is it just this particular formative bygone era that has its hold on me, mediocre music or not?

Okay, this got a bit weird and philosophical at the end there, huh. So uhhh make sure to check out -OZ- if you can, they were pretty alright I guess (haha).

Noir fleurir - Millennium～Kuroki hana no sennenki

Noir fleurir

Millennium～黒き華の千年期

2000/01/07

1. STYLE

2. 冷たすぎる窓

3. 闇の闘牛士

4. 時計の向こう側

5. 銀色馬車

6. おもちゃのミーシャ

Noir fleurir, that's a name that takes me back for sure! Even among their illustrious KEY PARTY label peers they were ones to grab the eyes and ears with their quirky style, which is perfectly distilled into this short but sweet mini album.

There's no question about this group having their own special little place in my heart, since they were among the very first visual kei bands I had the pleasure of experiencing. I found their "Gin-iro basha" music video on a now-defunct goth/alternative portal, and I remember being completely flabbergasted at all the sounds and imagery they threw at me in those four minutes. Ska guitars? Waltz tempo? Cutesy girl (who later turned out to be a guy of course) doing backing vocals? Scream masks, but also elaborate gothic costumes?? Am I supposed to take this seriously?! And so on, haha...

I soon learnt that this is just how Noir fleurir rolls, and boy am I glad they blessed our ears with all the tunes they released during their short lifespan! Nowhere else will you hear sentimental croons over flamenco-inspired guitar shreds, weird gothic ambience crossed with bouncy ska-punk rhythms and helium-pitched sing-songy parts that will stick to your brain instantly (and this is just from their first 'classic' period).

Highlights from the "Millennium..." mini album include the suave industrial dance-punk opening number "STYLE", the already mentioned ultra-catchy "Gin-iro basha", and we cannot forget one of the most emblematic songs of Noir fleurir, the closing track "Omocha no Miisha". This fierce VK scorcher attacks with razor-sharp guitar melodies and a relentless beat, but what will keep you around is bassist Kengo's absolutely mad chipmunk vocal delivery, bless his heart.

One cannot be thankful enough for this weird but beautiful bouquet of songs. Oh, did I mention that the CD came in a big-ass box housing a digital clock? So yeah, they were different for sure... A must-hear if you're into late '90s underground visual kei.

MALICE MIZER - Voyage sans retour

MALICE MIZER

Voyage sans retour

1996/06/09

01. 闇の彼方へ～

02. Transylvania

03. 追憶の破片

04. premier amour

05. 偽りのmusetté

06. N・p・s N・g・s

07. claire～月の調べ～

08. Madrigal

09. 死の舞踏

10. ～前兆～

MALICE MIZER is a band that practically needs no introduction, even to visual kei fans who have just started to discover the scene. Their fame, however, is rightfully earned, as evidenced by their tight but infinitely creative discography.

This is one band where I could have easily picked any of their albums to highlight because their quality was just so consistent, but listening to my gut I had to go with "Voyage..." since it's the release I've spun the most on my stereo over the years (not coincidentally it was my first 'MIZER CD). Even though I first got to experience the band's music via their last (more gothic) era with singer Klaha and the legendary "Beast of Blood" music video, it was their material with Gackt that was more accessible to my ears. I'm not gonna lie, the kaleidoscopic nature of their style shifts was a bit of a challenge at first. Having come from a metalhead background, it took me a while to appreciate the more electronic and softer pop elements but once I tuned into their wavelength it was a rewarding journey.

It's clear from the get-go, especially on this album, that MALICE MIZER was not afraid to experiment and take risks with their sound. They took the more traditional melodic VK tropes of their past and turned them inside out, resulting in instances of elaborate guitar mini-symphonies, dramatic opera-like pieces, fluffy baroque pop and even industrial-tinged aggression. What's even more amazing is that all these are present on just this one album, and I didn't even list all the genre nods and homages they packed into these 45 minutes!

Each song presents its own magical world, and each song is distinct yet noticeably bearing the 'MIZER sound, thanks to the imaginative arrangements of guitarists Mana and Közi. Even though this record might sound like the embryonic and lower-budget brother of their major label "merveilles" period, what they lacked in production they made up for with overflowing creativity here (and a heavy dose of cheesiness, but that's to be expected). Also, despite the stylistic differences between the individual tracks, I somehow feel like this is a surprisingly cohesive album. Even when they come with something completely out of left field, it doesn't feel out of place when taking the experience as a whole.

I guess I should thank MALICE MIZER, and especially the "Voyage..." album for finding my ears at such an early stage on my road of discovering visual kei. It made me appreciate a much wider range of sounds than what I had been used to before, being a huge part of shaping my identity not just as a music listener but as a more accepting and open person (I know it sounds lame, but it's true! haha).

Laputa - Kagerou

Laputa

蜉～かげろう～蝣

1996/10/23

01. trance

02. Four leaf clover

03. MASTER～Go beyond dimension～

04. 迷子の迷子

05. Instead of ache

06. 止まない耳鳴り

07. かげろう

08. 硝子の肖像

09. Asleep & Awake～不眠と催眠～

10. 針の筵

11. Venus

Laputa needs no introduction as one of the legendary players of visual kei history. In the mid to late '90s they gave the world such a powerful series of releases that very few bands manage to in their lifetime. Today I'd like to highlight their first major full-length.

Getting into Laputa was a real treat because their discography had a healthy amount of variety but it was also surprisingly consistent (okay, I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of their last few works though). I don't exactly recall which albums I started out with, but I do have fond memories of chatting with passionate fans who sent me their favorite songs and a copious amount of photos of their favorite members of course (I still have a soft spot for bassist Junji!). The story how I got this particular album is actually pretty neat: I was ordering some other CDs via a shopping service and they included the "Kagerou" album as a first-time gift completely for free. What a score!

Due to this being my only Laputa CD for the longest time, I probably listened to this album the most out of all their discography, thus it has a bit of an added sentimental value for me. Even if I didn't have that, it's pretty clear upon hearing the record that the band was in top shape at this point. Everything is in its right place, from the production through the musicianship down to the songs themselves. It might take you a while to get used to Aki's signature nasal tone (which only got more, uhm, 'characteristic' over time) but once you're in the zone you'll realize that it's an integral part of the Laputa experience. Equally important is Kouichi on the six-string playing his heart out, probably one of the more technically impressive visual kei guitarists in the game (back then at least).

If you're into '90s VK at all I think it's strongly advised to check out "Kagerou". Since it was Laputa's major debut album (they already had a mini and a full-length in their indies period) it has that perfect balance of sleekness and explosive power, delivered by a band who sounds hungry to show what they've got. They'd perfect their formula even further on the next few releases, but for a raw distillation of classic '90s Nagoya kei, this album is among the best of the best.

Kalimero - Hakoniwa

カリメロ

箱庭

2004/03/03

01. 脈

02. 楽園

03. 罪重なる罰

04. 灯

05. シカバネ

06. あの空は冷たい

07. ネツ

08. 友便

09. 革命

10. 蒼い鳥

11. 緋園

Oh hey, these guys sound like MUCC, sort of. Comparisons will be inevitable, especially with such a distinct sound, but Kalimero totally made it work and even added their own extra little spice into the mix! Their only full-length is living proof of that.

I'm not sure how well-known Kalimero was in visual circles while they were active, but I've always had an impression they are (still) tremendously underrated. Granted, they didn't stick around for too long either. As is the fleeting nature of the scene, I only got to taste their music not long after they disbanded. Somewhere I found the two music videos they released on DVD, so for a long time I was just watching those back to back. Band in smeared makeup dressed in minimalistic black playing their hearts out in front of a backdrop of industrial desolation: pretty cool.

One thing that's immediately apparent just from those two songs is how expressive vocalist Yuuki is. It took a little while for me to get used to him, but he really is the perfect elevating factor to the instruments with his slightly whiny but hyper-melodic singing that really feels like it comes from the heart. It's a cheap and shallow move to liken visual kei to emo, but I kind of hear something emo-ish in his delivery (through a VK filter of course). The other musicians are no slouches either. A tight rhythm section with a deliciously distorted bass sound lays the foundation for some jagged chunky guitar action that is occasionally broken up by cleans that sound borderline folky.

The album clocks in at a whopping sixty minutes (including the few-minute pause before a hidden closing track), and as such is quite robust. There is a certain sense of minimalism in the heavier riffs that are in turn countered by more upbeat sections, creating a good balance that lasts to the end of the record. The overall sound and atmosphere is so unified and dense that I can't really pick any highlights, everything flows together seamlessly. It's an album I can always reliably turn to when I just want some good ol' meat-and-potatoes heavy rock with an emotional edge. Also I realized just now that this album makes me think of hot dry summer afternoons somehow. Can't really explain why.