Current J-Pop Girls Chart

[Striker]

You're right about the fast stylistic changes.

It always strikes me as odd that the songs are so long, which can be off putting for people not used to the style. it's possibly (at least in the case of Idol stuff) to do with the fact that it's about putting on shows & if all their songs were 3mins rather than 5-6mins they'd have to perform 40 odd songs in a show, and remember all the dance routines, or it might be something else.

I may try and do some 3 minute "Jukebox Edits" if I can remember how to do that kind of thing.

[Striker]

BiS Update

Well I wasn't expecting this!

BiS have recruited a new member to replace Rio Michibayashi.. They've chosen 74 year old fashion designer Junko Koshino

I don't know what's going on but it looks like BiS could get legit interesting, there's a music video on the special site they've set up but you can only see it if you answer some question, which I can't do in Japanese..

They all look great, let's see if they can make something interesting out of this.

[Striker]

The MTV81 site has a nice series of video interviews with 5 Kawaii 'pioneers' called i-Kawaii, if you want some more background to this thing.

no embedding so you have to watch on their site

Kyary has also done a toothpaste advert...

I like how it states "illustrative purposes only". You mean that's not really going to happen??

[Striker]

Along with Lyrical School another rap ripple from the Halcali shaped rock dropped in the J-Pop pond is the pleasingly named...

Rhymeberry


This lot seem to be aiming for a Beastie Boys style set up with three MC's and one (surely intentionally) dorky looking DJ knocking out hyperactive sample based hip hop about I don't know what.

They had a single out recently called "Sekaijuu ni I Love You" that was notable for the first 45 seconds of the pop video being in complete silence then exploding into a ragtime rap squeak-a-thon which, even with the resistance I've managed to build up was a bit painful, nevertheless there was a few interesting elements to their shtick (ultra slo-mo stoney faced riding of mechanical fairground animals) so they made it on the list of stuff to keep an eye on.

Their new single "SuperMCZTokyo" is pretty great though, they hoover up & regurgitate hip hop cliches in such a joyous and totally corny way that I can't help but get on board with, Kool & The Gang style horn sample & super exuberant performances make this a solid winner.

Things I love about this video

Getting hype in a VW van with a driver who looks like he doesn't want to be there.
DJ Hikaru's acknowledgement of the camera with a Morcambe-esque tip of the spectacles at 0:25
Diggin' in the crates, does anyone recognise those records, Japanese chazza guff?
They've got no microphones... but halfway through one of them pretends to hold a microphone for a whole verse.

This is the serious business of rap (pop, same thing) eating itself, this is what Biggie & Tupac died for...

[Striker]

New Mishmash * Julie Watai single's video has just hit youtube.

It's great, the new album is firmly on the must buy list now, ace video too.

"Right, I run away and play around"

Actually 2 tracks released on the same day..

This one's title translates as "Heart blurring squid Lloyd"

[Striker]

Back in the interminably baffling world of Band Ja Naimon

Watching the video for their new single "Kiss in the Night as Snow is Falling" I noticed amid the general confusion and low, low production value there was only one drum kit, It seems as if founder member Kacchan ("long, long, longest hair") is out, this is disappointing as she had a great voice and the chemistry between her and Misako was one of the great things about the band.

The new members aren't really bringing much to the table either, there's some interesting elements to the song but it's seriously all over the place and it doesn't really work. They (or their management) should have paid Kenichi Maeyamada whatever he wanted to let them stay under his wing, I'm working on a more detailed post about him as a J-pop polymath, but it might take a little time.

Interestingly though remaining OG member Misako instagrammed a picture of herself with Sebadoh drummer Bob D'Amico, don't ask me... I don't know what's going on.. Coincidentally I discovered that she is also the drummer for avant-indie-shoegaze-noise-pop-weirdo outfit Shinsei Kamattechan who seem to be well worth investigating & can be heard below cos I don't want to inflict the BJN video on you.

Shinsei Kamattechan - Egg White

I'll pick up a few of their albums & report back..

I'm still going to monitor Band Ja Naimon's activities as they still have goodwill in the bank for making that first mini album, but it's not looking good.

[Striker]

One of the things that popped up in an end of year review that I had totally missed

BiS the attention seeking Idol outfit that I've been on the fence about have a side project called BiS Kaidan that sees them teaming up with Japan's version of Throbbing Gristle, noise experimental improv performance-art nutcases Hijokaidan, complete with destructive chaotic live performances

Started from an experiment by Hijokaidan's Jojo Hiroshige wanting to work with an Idol unit (originally wanting to work with Momoiro Clover Z but took twitter advice to go with BiS as a better fit) It seems to have crept from a one off noise performance of BiS tracks to a mini LP of original material, to BiS members First Summer Uika and Nozomi Hirano performing live as members of Hijokaidan on drums & "electronics".

The BiS Kaidan album came out on vinyl too, mixed with 40% more noise than the CD version, I like this stuff a lot more than the usual BiS offerings, Let's see how easy this LP is to track down.

So if you like unrelenting noise & distorted screamy J-pop hooks then here's

BiS Kaidan - "Suki Suki Daisuki"

[Rich Hero]

So if you like unrelenting noise & distorted screamy J-pop hooks then here's...

That is mental. I can offer little more than that because I'm struggling to process it (and not for the first time this thread), but thanks for posting it!

[Striker]

That is mental. I can offer little more than that because I'm struggling to process it (and not for the first time this thread), but thanks for posting it!

Just imagine it with 40% more noise... 40%! (I can't find the LP for sale anywhere but I might have found a download)

[pitch]

This looked rather lovely...... maybe not quite J-Pop but I couldn't resist the coloured vinyl......... Cuushe - Butterfly Case. Do you know the artist?

http://dilatedtime.bandcamp.com/album/butterfly-case-lp

[Tsundoku]

That is mental. I can offer little more than that because I'm struggling to process it (and not for the first time this thread), but thanks for posting it!

Yeah, me also. Cognitive dissonance is a glorious thing. Also, I need to know what they do with the pig's head.

I really need to write a review of your CD Striker, but I want to listen again first.

[Striker]

Thanks pitch, I didn't know Cuushe, she looks pretty cool & that dreampop sound is ultra hip right now, that LP is a lovely thing though I might have a look at that myself.

It reminds me of another singer that I've temporarily forgotten about who has a similar sound but a little grittier, I'll rack my brain & try & find it on youtube when I get a minute.

I heard the pigs head gets thrown into the audience at live performances, I'm not sure if it's connected but their latest one's called...

BiS Kaidan - "STUPiG"

This seems to be an actual BiS release rather than part of the Bis Kaidan project but the stylistic influence is right there, the sound is a little more ATR/Digital Hardcore than noise but it's the same ballpark. The video is like a neon coloured version of the Tetsuo Bodyhammer films.

[Striker]

I'll try and make my next post a Vanilla Beans one to make up for double BiS..

It'll be soothing like a nice cup of tea.

[Xann]

Had a professional interest in J-Pop and K-Pop for the last couple of years.

Don't listen to it for fun, but do appreciate the deep shine of the polish.

Girls Generation - 'Twinkle'

[MV] Perfume - '1mm'

Shinee - 'Lucifer'

[peretti]

Anyone know about a group called Globe, who are now recording again after a bit of a haitus and apparently doing okay according to my insider mole .... Do they count as J-Pop or is that a distinct category from ShiteTechnoPop?