My favourite - Japanese music

This is not tricky, this is just my favourite J-Rock and J-Pop songs and bands. Most of them on this list are fairly modern ones, though there are some better established ones too (which you'll see below). I thought I would let the music do the talking so I have put some facts and figures down and some video links for you to look at. Let me know what you think about it all (P.S sorry for the video quality, some of them pre-date HD). Pics and video copyright where it is due.

SID (pronounced 'shido')

 Members: Mao (Vocals), Shinji (Guitar), Aki (Bass) and Yuuya (Drums)
Formed: 2003 (though it was announced on 14 January 2004 that Yuuya and Shinji would be permanent members so they count this as the band's 'birth')
Style: Visual Kei
Albums: Renai (2004), Hoshi no Miyako (2005), Play (2006), Sentimental Macchiato (2008), Side B Compilation Collection (2008), Hikari (2009), Dead Stock (2011), M&W (2012), SID 10th Anniversary (2013), Side B Compilation Collection x2 (2013), Outsider (2014)



Fact: SID are the kings of anime themes. They have had songs on season one of Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler - the song was 'Monochrome Kiss'), Full Metal Alchemist ('Rain'), Bleach ('Ranbu no Melody') and Black Butler: Book of Circus ('Enamel', which they wrote especially for the anime and you can see below).

 Enamel

One Ok Rock

 Members: Taka (Vocals), Toru (Guitar/backing vocals), Ryota (Bass), Tomoya (Drums/Percussion)
Formed: 2005
Style: Rock
Albums: Zeitakubyo (2007), Beam of Light (2008), Kanjo Effect (2008), Niche Syndrome (2010), Zankyo Reference (2011), Jinsei x Boku (2013), 35 XXXV (2015)


Fact: Taka is good friends with actor Takeru Sato and they went to school together (apparently hated each other back then). Sato starred as the title character in the Rurouni Kenshin trilogy of films and One Ok Rock provided the end credit songs for each film ('The Beginning' - Rurouni Kenshin, 'Mighty Long Fall' - Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno, 'Heartache' - Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends).

Below is the video to 'Mighty Long Fall':



L'Arc-en-Ciel:

Members: Hyde (Vocals), Ken (Guitar), Tetsuya (Bass and backing vocals), Yukihiro (Drums/percussion)
Formed: 1991
Style: Rock (started as a Visual Kei band though)
Albums: Dune (1993), Tierra (1994), Heavenly (1995), True (1996), Heart (1998), Ark (1999), Ray (1999), Real (2000), Smile (2004), Awake (2005), Kiss (2007), Butterfly (2012)


Fact: They have an alter-ego punk band called Punk-en-Ciel where all the members swap roles within the band.

Below is the video to their song, 'Chase'.



Crossfaith

Members: Kenta Koie (Vocals), Kazuki Takemura (Lead Guitar), Hiroki Ikegawa (Bass), Tatsuya Amano (Drums), Terufumi Tamano (Keyboards/Programming/Backing Vocals)
Formed: 2006 (Osaka)
Style: Metalcore
Albums: The Artificial Theory for the Dramatic Beauty (2009); The Dream, The Space (2011); Apocalyze (2013)



Below is the video to 'Eclipse'


Babymetal

Members: Su-Metal, Yuimetal, Moametal (and they have a backing band)
Formed: 2010
Style: Kawaii Metal/Metal Idol
Albums: Babymetal (2014)

Below is the video to 'Gimmie Chocolate'



Coldrain

Members: Masato (Vocals), Yokochi (Guitar), Sugi (Rhythm Guitar), RxYxO (Bass and backing vocals), Katsuma (Drums)
Formed: 2007 (Nagoya)
Style: Rock
Albums: Final Destination (2009), The Enemy Inside (2011), The Revelation (2013)

Below is the video for 'Six Feet Under'


Cocoa Otoko

Members: Kenta Kamikari (Vocals), Kei Hosogai (Bass), Kousuke Yonehara (Drums), Shogo Suzuki (Guitar), Takuya Ide (Keyboards/Rap)
Formed: 2010 Disbanded: 2012
Style: Rock
Albums: Mini album: Rich Cocoa (2010), Full album: Premium Cocoa (2012)


Fact: The band got their name from the fact they all loved chocolate (Cocoa) and they are all men (Otoko). Every member of the band was also an actor who had been in either TV, films or both. In fact, lead singer, Kenta Kamikari, starred alongside Takeru Sato in the comedy drama, Princess Princess D. Here's the proof (L-R: Rei Fujita, Kenta Kamikari, Takeru Sato).


Below is a video to 'Amai Wana Nigai Uso'



Dir en Grey

Members: Kyo (Vocals), Kaoru (Guitar and backing vocals), Die (Guitar and backing vocals), Toshiya (Bass and backing vocals), Shinya (Drums/Percussion)
Formed: 1997
Style: Metal
Albums: Gauze (1999), Macabre (2000), Kisou (2002), Vulgar (2003), Withering to Death (2005), The Marrow of a Bone (2007), Uroboros (2008), Dum Spiro Spero (2011), Arche (2014)

Below is the video to 'The Final'


Oldcodex

Members: Ta_2 (Vocals), Yorke (Paint/Lyrics). Also the following musicians: Ryo Yamagata (Drums), Taizo Nakamura (Bass), Shinji Omura (Guitar)
Formed: 2009
Style: Rock
Albums: Hidemind (2010), Contrast Silver (2012), A Silent Within The Roar (2014)
Fact: Ta_2, real name, Tatsuhisa Suzuki also voices for anime including Free! (Makoto Tachibana) and sings on the character single and as part of Style 5 (see below).


Below is the video for 'Rage On', which is used on the opening credits to Free! Iwatobi Swim Club



For a laugh

These are the songs that make me smile. In no particular order, here they are:

Takeru Sato - 'Yes' (from Princess Princess D - character song for Touru Kouno)


Princess Princess D - 'Nikiro no Sekai' - (The lead 'Princesses' singing...um...yes)



Princess Princess D - 'Treasure' (the princesses again, this is the theme song)


Style 5 - 'Future Fish' (the theme from the second season of Free!)



Style 5 - 'Splash Free' (the theme from season one of Free!)



















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